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Obie's right. I would no longer let my dog sit at the foot of my driveway unleashed than I would a nephew, niece, great-nephew or niece, or goddaughter. I have all of these. When my goddaughter was eating ice cream and lackadasically slipped into the street in a safe, quiet, Northern California town, she saw the serious side of me real quick when I made her get out of the street and back on the sidewalk (not just the curb) and made real clear to her the difference between the two. Job One for kids and dogs: Security.
Just today a seltish and self-entitled person came jogging by with, of all things, an unleashed doberman. She did have the decency to leash the doberman when she saw my dog and flashed her mace to indicate that she saw loose dogs as a problem, too. She admitted that her black dog has the entire run of our street but because he is "nice" she didn't see that as a problem. Nevermind that I don't know whether your dog is nice or not. Evidently, I am not nice if I put the burden on you to prove that your dog is harmless to mine and that because of his or her amazingly sweet disposition, she, he or it has earned the right to run free, exempt from all laws.
Neither did this person perceive the irony in the fact that she carried mace while it was clear her snarling doberman was, by her own admission, potentially dangerous.
There are seven words for this: selfish disregard for the rights of others.
It is pretty clear that she intends to take the harness off whenever she wishes, without regard for the fear that an unleashed doberman places in others. It could well be an unleashed malamute, ill-behaved and insane Jack Russell or, god forbid, the "sweetest little pit-bull".
There was a lawyer in San Francisco who thought that her precious little Presa Canarios wouldn't hurt a flee. She was convicted of manslaughter when her precious babies mauled a young woman to death. She is in prison.
There is a lawyer in Puna who thinks you should rethink whether the risks of setting your dog free outweigh the benefits.
ETA to correct typos.
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A couple of years ago I ran over a dog. It was one of the most horrible things that has occurred in my life and I cannot forget it. It was on a small street in Hilo with a 25mph limit and I was driving slowly, probably 15mph because coming towards me were a couple of young children with bicycles on the other side of the road and I wasn't sure if they would stay where they were or going to veer in front of me.
All of a sudden a small dog ran out in front of me. I didn't see it at first because it ran out from behind a car parked in the driveway right by the road. I think it ran out to bark at the kids. I didn't even have time to hit the brakes before I had run it over and broken its back.
I stopped and got out about 20 yards from the dog owner's house and saw a young man screaming at me. His mom was on the porch and obviously distressed. Given how upset the man was I was worried that if he had a gun he might shoot me but there was no way I was going to drive away, I had just run over their dog.
But it wasn't my fault.
I watched the dog die in his owner's arms. I think about it every day and wish I could get it out of my head. I told the owner we need to get the dog to the vet and she told me she had no money, but I said don't worry about it, I'll take you and the dog to the nearest vet and I'll sort it out. She started to carry the dog to my car but he died before we got there. It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen.
But it wasn't my fault. Nor was it the dog's. The owner hadn't kept it under control and had allowed it to run into the street. I'm sure she, her son and I will never forget that event.
I have no comments on what originally started this thread or the other one, but will say a couple of things: if you hit a pet please stop and try and find the owner. If you are a half-decent human being you'll know how devastated the owner will be and even if you can't do that, leave a note. Secondly, please don't let your loved pets run freely into the street. They get hurt and you and the driver end up with memories they'd rather not have.
And cwaters - please don't think this is aimed at you - from what I read the driver is absolutely at fault and your beloved dog was on your property - I can't believe how much pain this has caused you and my thoughts are with you.
Tom
http://apacificview.blogspot.com/
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If you don't train your dog, your dog will train you.
If you cannot, or choose not to train your dog to stay away from cars, it will get hit.
I cannot train my dog not to chase pigs, so either I restrain him constantly (which I cannot abide) or I have a radio tracking collar on him so I can go find him if he goes after a pig.
I have owned dogs all my life. My father told me when I was young, "If you are going to own dogs, you had better be prepared to bury them; they do not live as long as we do".
How can I own a dog and keep him restrained constantly? Not allowing him to romp along the shore or through fields?
Owning pets, having children, falling in love, all the things we cherish the most are at risk of loss.
Life is like a box of chocolates....
Dan
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Keeping your dog on a leash on your own property?
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Yeh,if you think your property extends out into a public road !!
"I would no longer let my dog sit at the foot of my driveway unleashed than I would a nephew, niece, great-nephew or niece, or goddaughter."
Daswotimtalkin''bout Kelena .. Thank you.
And yep, just 'cause your dog is "friendly" does not mean it should be tearing around in other people yards and personal space.
I have witnessed a Pit Bull 'fro-licking' on the beach one moment, then, like a movie, stalking and chasing (jaws theme) a toddler who's Mom noticed the charging pit seconds in time to sweep the child up just as the pit was about to take the child down ...
Lifelong cyclist here and for many years did not own a car ... Lots of good and bad stories on all this. IMO, a dog loose in the jungle ( puna ) is worse than anything urban though.
Everyone here seemingly on same / similar page.
Maybe a dog park ... I bet Shipman will be up for that : )
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I just re-read that thread about the 8 dogs in Leilani Estates.
When I was in Arizona I finally had my dreaded 40th birthday. Turns out I wasn't going to instantly shrivel up after all.
But what I was surprised to find out is that, in all those years, I never knew that the Humane Society was not a government agency. That in fact it wasn't even a recipient of the infamous ASPCA's financial thread.
They, like any non-profit or even individual, are ALLOWED to take animals that are on public property and.....well.....you know.
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And, keeping it Puna, neither is the Humane Society in Kea'au or the other shelters under the Hawaii Island Humane Societ. It's a non-profit organization who can, no more than any individual, go onto private property and remove an animal. And since the streets of subdivisions are private property, you have to have the animal restrained and ready for them to pick it up on your property for them to come out.
I wish they were a government animal control agency like the one in Los Angeles County. Here's a link to their website http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/
I can't seem to find the animal control laws for Hawaii Count. Anyone have a link? I think the Police need to enforce the animal control laws in this County.
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quote:
Originally posted by mailesomaha...
I wish they were a government animal control agency like the one in Los Angeles County. Here's a link to their website http://animalcare.lacounty.gov/
We all would love to have everything here with no tax increases or costs to increase living here so here is the comparison straight from your link. I do understand your "want".
From your link: "The department impounded over 90,000 animals last year, employs 325 staff and operates on a $30 million budget." (LA County is 4700+ Sq Miles. By comparison, the Big Island is 5076 Sq miles).
Just an observation but they have also have a LAC Animal Care Foundation which helps fundraise for the LACAC&C, in addition to the Humane Society..... Also they have a nice website but is their response time any better? Not really according to my family in LA.
LA County is broke. LA County and LA City both have no money to hire and train new firefighters.... so in LA County your dog may do okay, just hope you dont need emergency services.
I think overall, with neighbors helping neighbors, and if people are just aware and act responsibly, we do pretty well here overall. We just have a lot of open space so it appears okay to let your pet roam free.
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