The Importance of Leash Laws

It never ceases to amaze me how many people blatantly ignore leash laws or allow their dogs to roam at large. I have observed a man walking a pit bull-type puppy along busy Dale Boulevard (main, four lane road through part of congested Northern, Virginia) . He rarely has a leash on the pup.

What if something startles the pup and he darts into traffic? We have a family who allows their Chihuahua cross run loose throughout the neighborhood. I have had many close calls with the dog as it darted out into the street as I was driving by. Due to the number of children locally, I drive well below the speed limit as is.

But at night, due to cars along the side of the road and the fact that this dog is the color of fallen leaves and sometimes plays in piles next to the street, he is very difficult to see at time. Another family in my area has a dog that religiously escapes the yard. The fence is far too low to safely contain the dog.

Many people feel their dogs are 100% trustworthy off lead or that leads are a hassle, etc. Others feel that dogs should be able to roam the neighborhood as opposed to being in a yard. Others may not realize the dog is escaping as it is there when they leave for the day and there when they return (hopefully). Dogs have a good internal clock and I am known more than one dog to disappear after the owner has left for work and return well before the owner comes home. Leash laws and laws to restrict the roaming of dogs are vital for the safety of the dog as well as the general public. Let's look at why.

If your dog is safely leashed as well as securely confined to a house and yard when at home, your dog is far safer than if running loose. There are many, many dangers to dogs allowed to run loose. Most people only think of cars and trucks as risks to roaming dogs. However, there are many others. For example, poisons (like antifreeze and other car fluids that collect in puddles).

There are irate humans that pose a risk to roaming dogs trespassing on their property. I have known commercial rabbit raisers and small farmers who had severe problems with loose dogs killing livestock. The owners ignored pleas of the and animal control's warnings. The people were forced to set out poison to stop the dogs. It was that or continual loss of livestock and revenue. Loose dogs can get into fights with other animals. Some may carry things like the deadly rabies virus. Skunks and porcupines can be found in both rural and suburban areas. The list of risks to loose dogs goes on.

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