No Leash Leads to $750.00 fine

A Peterborough woman was fined $750 after pleading guilty Nov 25 in provincial court on charges of permitting a dog at large, Peterborough SPCA inspector Brad Algar said, Her black Lab was spotted running off leash on sept 28 and nov 20. Three other charges have been laid in simmilar incidents in Del Cary Park, but are still before the courts. City bylaw calls for fines up to $5000 for such offences. Algar warned there is a conection between the rise in dog biting incidents in the city and dogs not being held firmly on a leash. Because of recent attacks, enforcment officers are taking a zero tolerance to at large dogs and unlicensed dogs.

Peterborough only recently said no to BSL, in favor of inforcing existing laws to curb dog bite incidents in the city, During the debate to ban pit bulls, City counslers were informed it was nearly impossible to tell a pit bull from other mixes as well as the fact that other dogs did infact bite, and cause serious injury, and that 80% of dog bite incidents in the city were dogs off leash.
It was allso brought to there attention that of the 83 bites reported only 3 were from a pit bull, and it was the same dog all 3 times. If other cities would look at facts instead of blameing pit bulls for all of there dog problems there would be no BSL in Ontario.

That being said I think her fine is a little high, but I much prefer peterborough,s pro-active aproch to dog bites, as opossed to BSL.
Are you listening yet Mr, Bryant?

I agree it is high, but would we prefer a BSL? I alos don't like the fact that they are targeting large dogs but I can deal with it better than wearing a muzzle. Besides you can walk your dog on a lead till you get to an off leash area, then it is up to the public if they have a fear of dogs do not enter an off leash area. Should keep everyone a little safer.

That being said I think her fine is a little high, but I much prefer peterborough,s pro-active aproch to dog bites, as opossed to BSL.
Are you listening yet Mr, Bryant?

Mr. Bryant: Sorry what did you say? I've been in one too many boxing matches to comprehend the difference between my head and my own A$#

very funny and true

Mr. Bryant: Sorry what did you say? I've been in one too many boxing matches to comprehend the difference between my head and my own A$#

One he talks out of, the other is on his shoulders.

I agree it is high, but would we prefer a BSL? I alos don't like the fact that they are targeting large dogs but I can deal with it better than wearing a muzzle. Besides you can walk your dog on a lead till you get to an off leash area, then it is up to the public if they have a fear of dogs do not enter an off leash area. Should keep everyone a little safer.

I thought it was large dogs as well at first, but I think he said they are targetting AT large dogs. I'd like to see a few of the little dogs get nailed myself, the ones that get in the big dogs faces, then the owners start yelling at us when they get hurt.

As for the fine, I don't think it's too high, not considering they have a zero tolerance policy, and the dog was seen off leash twice, not just once. Sounds to me like they had thier chance. Besides, by taking a tough stance, hopefully it'll make a difference and become an example like Calgary.

I'm glad they are fining dog owners with their dogs not on lead.I'm sick of walking my Pit Bulls on lead with other dogs running at my dogs aggressively,barking at and challenging my dogs and even snapping at my dogs.And if a fight sparks up who's to blame?It's always the pit bulls who are at fault.So every time there is a dog off lead I'm rushing off to get away from the loose dog so it doesn't confront my APBTs who are just minding their own business. :mad:

You are right I run into the same problem these small dogs run up Buddy gets excited and wants to play and as soon as he moves they start whining like he hurt them and then the owners are all over you meanwhile he never touched them. So I just tell them if your dog was on a leash we would not be having this conversation and walk away.

The fines should apply to all dogs. Yes its steep, but do you think they're going to have the dog run loose next time. That is a big deterent.

I would much rather pay a steep fine, then have to muzzle my dogs, just to walk them on-leash!!

I hope this person learned their lesson, and this will persuade others to keep their dogs on a leash. To often, strange dogs run loose all over the city of Brampton, and I'm constantly throwing myself between curious off-leash dogs & my 2 Pit's. Not in fear that they will do anything wrong, but in fear that if they should feel threatened, or feel I'm threatened and defend themselves or me, I'd loose both of them, simple because they are Pit's.

What is good for the goose, is good for the gander, and all the same rules should apply, no matter what your breed. Obviously the off-leash parks are a diffferent story, but none the less, in those situations you are prepared for an at large dog coming at you.

:thumbs up to the fine!!

I think this is a good idea, giving steep fines to owners with offleash dogs. I *hate* having loose dogs run up to mine :mad:

If this is the only way to get the point through these peoples' thick skulls then I'm all for it.

They don't seem to understand anything else and think laws don't apply to them.

I"m sick and tired of untrained and out of control dogs running across streets to charge us while the ninny owners stand there saying "Come" and "Don't worry - he's friendly!" :mad:

This is like deja vu!I was just complaining about this topic earlier today!Wouldn't you know it:I'm jogging with 1 of my pit bulls and suddenly I hear a guy calling after his dog " Ozzy NO!" "Ozzy Get back here!!" and this Doberman is of course charging after me and my pit like gang-busters!So I stop jogging and his dog is sniffing my dog(his dog was pretty stiff and aggressive until it realized my dog is female) and I'm telling his dog to stay because the car traffic is heavy and I risk getting bit so HIS dog doesn't get hit by a car.Then once the teenaged owner runs up and apologizes to me and grabs his dog,then his dog jumps on me and then my dog lunged at him and growled,because she is being protective of me.So I had to yank my dog back to prevent any fight from brewing. :eek:

If this is the only way to get the point through these peoples' thick skulls then I'm all for it.

They don't seem to understand anything else and think laws don't apply to them.

I"m sick and tired of untrained and out of control dogs running across streets to charge us while the ninny owners stand there saying "Come" and "Don't worry - he's friendly!" :mad:

i agree. although in my neck of the woods (main & danforth), must people respect the leash laws.

and it should be applied to all dogs. just not med to large size. too many people with small dogs think they are exempt from the rules.

One he talks out of, the other is on his shoulders.


No schwinn . One is where his legs join and the other is stuck inside it .

many dog laws are not enforced and that is one of the reasons we have a problem . Bravo to peterborough on the fine and saying "NO" to BSL .

and I'm telling his dog to stay because the car traffic is heavy and I risk getting bit so HIS dog doesn't get hit by a car

Sigh....I hate seeing animals hurt. It's not their fault their owners don't have the brains of a gnat. BUT my dog comes first, and when a Lab charged us across a two lane road with fairly steady traffic, it wasn't my problem.

And then we have the other end of spectrum - an older couple walking their 5 lb toy poodle off leash every day and letting it range 30 feet ahead of them. Just ONE snap from a larger dog would kill it. Heck, a tomcat having a bad day could kill it. DUH!!

Is a simple rule too much for most people to understand?

IF YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR DOG KEEP IT ON A LEASH!!

happen on the dog owners' property.

But this is better than the muzzles, & BSL approach, which addresses nothing about the causes & nature of dog bites.

(There are people out there who are far worse of than Mikey. The person who nominated him, & the loons who voted him in.)

No schwinn . One is where his legs join and the other is stuck inside it .
No Seeker . . . One is where his brains are and the other is where his brains are supposed to be.

My city has a leash law. 1st offense is a $50 fine. 2nd offense is $100. Any further offense is $500. It sounds like there were at least 2 offenses in that $750 incident - Sep. 28th and Nov. 20th.