Most places have leash laws and they should be enforced. I would call animal control if they continue to allow it to roam.

Take dog. Break legs. Solved.


Works on cats, too.

so...I'm getting the feeling you aren't really an animal person, Zen

Will that affect the flavor?

Which would be determined by which part of you is unhappiest at accidentally sitting on one, I guess.

But if your well-used kindling axe handle, neglectfully left outdoors, has been gnawed into chips, it was porcupines. They are crazy for salt. Can't get enough. It's a wonder they don't make pilgrimages to the seashore to take the waters.

Nah, I am still just channeling Steven King.

leave salt licks out for them?

At a previous place we lived, we had a dog issue. One day an unknown German Sheppard (sp?) chased my son, barking and growling into the house when he was playing outside in the front yard. I was upset and tried to go out to the front porch but the dog was standing on it and growling at our front door.

I didn't know who owned the dog and figured he might have been a stray. I called animal control, which for this town happened to be the police. They came over and I told her what had happened. But by the time they got there, the neighbors had called the dog inside. If I had known he belonged to the neighbors, I would have gone over and talked to them.

Apparently this town had no leash law, because the police officer came back and told me that the dog was harmless and that the neighbors had lived there for 30 years and never had issues with the dog. It was apparently alright for them to let their dog roam because "He never goes to people's doors." I guess I must have been lying.

Anyway, since I could not do anything about it, I accepted that the dog was allowed to roam around and intimidate children. I also apologized to the neighbor and set up a time for my son to meet the dog where the dog felt safe and everything seemed alright after that. My son never felt very safe around the dog, though, so he usually came in when he saw it outside.

Easy way out is to let the dog rat himself out. Just attach a note to his collar (or make a lightweight string collar for him) that says, If I am your dog, please keep me home because I am bothering the neighborhood. If nobody takes care of me then they are going to ask the apt managers to call someone to pick me up. Please help..

That's brilliant, sweetwater!

I like that idea too.

Zombie thread!

I was walking through town on the way home today, and I saw a chap with his dog. Dog was on a lead, walking perfectly fine, and the chap stopped outside Boots (large pharmacy store), left his dog outside the door and went in. Left the dog outside without tying its lead to anything. Just sitting there on its own on the pavement, on the high street during the busiest part of the day. It was clearly a well-behaved dog - didn't try and go anywhere - but ffs, the traffic that time of day, right near the bus station, as the school buses are all coming through is really busy and a little chaotic (albeit at slow speeds). Plus loads of people milling about.

No way could I leave my dog like that. I'd be worried he'd take it into his head to chase a piegeon, or wander into the road (no fucking road sense whatsoever). Not to mention the potential for dognapping. The only times I leave my dog outside a shop, he's tied up, and it's only ever the little village shop or bakery, where I can keep an eye on him from inside. Even then I'm anxious to get right back out to him quick sharp, just because of dog thieves (who are known to operate in this area).

t'other week, mum and were in the car parked up outside the chippy (mum had treated us to curry and chips ;p) on a main road, near a mad busy junction at tea time, so rush hour traffic, and a chap was strolling along with three big dogs, all off the lead, padding along behind him. He had to cross the road whilst the traffic was stopped at the lights, and he and the dogs just weaved in and out of the cars.

I swear I just don't get it. Why risk it? Just put them on a fucking lead. There are loads of places round here to walk a dog off their leads for some free running, why risk it on a busy road?