Northwood News ♦ December 2017

Leash Your Dog for Its Own Safety as Well as Others’

By Jacquie Bokow

I’m sure your dog is as “friendly” as you claim, but the leashed dog your pet runs up to may have issues of its own.  A dog that feels threatened by another dog may attack and you will probably not be close enough to intervene.  Same goes for the children (and adults) your dog is scaring.

Here are the laws on pets in our county (the grassy area between the sidewalk and a house is not public property):

• At Large.  Any dog is at large if it is outside the owner’s premises and not leashed.  Penalty for Violation: $100 for first offense, $500 for each subsequent violation.

• Unwanted Contact.  The pet owner must prevent unwelcome or unsolicited threatening physical contact or close proximity to a person or a domestic animal that occurs outside the owner’s property that may cause alarm in a reasonable person, such as biting, chasing, tracking, inhibiting movement, or jumping.  Penalty for Violation:  $500.

• Animal Defecation (“pooper scooper” law).  An owner must not allow an animal to damage or defecate on property outside of the owner’s property.  Feces may be picked up in a plastic bag.  If this bag is placed inside another plastic bag, it may be put out for disposal in your normal household trash.  Penalty for Violation:  $100.

• Animal Trespass.  An owner must not allow an animal to enter private property without the property owner’s permission.  Penalty for Violation:  $100.