Newport Beach, CA – One of the simple pleasures of having a dog is taking a walk outdoors together especially on a day with perfect weather. Visualize walking on a sunny and breezy spring day with a dog trotting on a leash beside you. You and your dog are happily walking along until out of nowhere a large off-leash dog comes barreling towards you both. Just as you hear a man yell, “my dog is friendly,” your leashed dog and the big unleashed dog start fighting.
Why do people with unleashed dogs assume every person and every dog likes to have an unfamiliar and unleashed dog charge at you and your dog? Many leashed dogs can become reactive or aggressive out of fear or surprise when an unleashed dog rushes up to them. Such an occurrence is all too common, all too scary, all too dangerous and against the law!
All dogs are required to be on a leash in public places in California except at specific dog parks and dog beaches. Orange County Code of Ordinances Sec. 4-1-45 states “no person owning or having charge, care, custody, or control of any dog shall cause or permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any such dog to be upon any public property unless such dog be restrained by a substantial chain, or leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length, and is under the charge of a person competent to exercise care, custody, and control over such dog.”
Unfortunately people who fail to keep dogs leashed in public are putting the dogs at risk of being bitten, pepper sprayed or worse. Be lawful, smart, safe and considerate by keeping dogs leashed.