Not about Iraq. About dogs.

So, I know everyone is here for the Arab politics stuff and doesn't really care, but I'm just still fuming about this.  I was at the playground at the local elementary school this afternoon with my kids, along with probably 40-50 other kids ranging from 1-6 years old.   A woman, who I know but won't identify, showed up to pick up her kid and chat.  She brought along her very large German Shepherd.   She let this very large dog wander off-leash around the playground, terrifying one kid after another (my daughter leaped into my arms shrieking, her friend ran and cowered between her dad's legs), for a good 15 minutes.  Occasionally she would look up from her no doubt very stimulating conversation, notice the trail of shrieking and cowering children, and wave her hand ineffectually in the dog's direction.  The dog ignored her, and she did nothing.    I'm sure that this dog was different, a nice dog, not like all those other wonderfully nice dogs who suddenly maul children.  What kind of person would behave like this?   Are there laws about this kind of thing?   Grrrrr....

Comments

[MG]

In America? Of course there must be laws - most playgrounds have a sign that states whether dogs can be let out unleashed or not. But while humans approaching or scaring children is one thing (hell, smile at a child in the US and people look at you like a potential kidnapper), dogs vs kids gets into the dangerous territory of my baby vs yours.

[MSK]

Dear AA,

there are (very probably) laws that say that a dog has to be leashed in public, that dogs of a certain size (and/or breed) have to wear a muzzle in public, cannot be brought into a playground, etc.pp. I know that in many California cities dogs can only be unleashed in specifically marked areas - dog playgrounds (yes, they exist) and certain parks.

What you parents should do is walk up to that woman and politely ask her to leash her dog. If she refuses you can (& should) point out the laws. If she still refuses - call the cops. Oh, you also might point out to her that IF her dog so much as bothers a child the likelihood of some judge or official ruling that the dog has to be killed is very high. So, even if she doesn't give a s*** about other people's children, maybe at least she wants to avoid her dog getting culled.

See, that's the nice thing about the whole "dogs are dirty" attitude in the MidEast: no big, unleashed dogs on playgrounds. Of course ... there are also no playgrounds, but that's a different subject.

--MSK

[Non-Arab Arab]

Oy, I would have been fuming! I'm with MSK, find out the laws, ask her politely to "think of the children" who are shrieking in fear, then let her know the law. "The judge will destroy your dog" line is a nice touch depending ont he scenario :) But MSK, maybe no big unleashed dogs on playgrounds in the Middle East, but far too many rabid stray and wild dogs which were sometimes doubly frightening to me. When I was a kid in the Gulf, my older brother used to scare me by threatening to throw me to the pack of wild dogs that wandered in the desert just outside our town. A bit older in Egypt, I was none too pleased in one place I lived to have to walk past a rabid none-too-stable dog on my way to and from a twice-weekly errand.

[Jifry]

A2,

You were far too indulgent of this person. Whether it was a German Shepherd or a Chihuahua dogs have no business being off-leash around children, period.

Diplomacy was not called for, a visit by the police was. And a fine for being off-leash, at least.

Good German Shepherd owners know better than to let their dogs off leash in public. There is no such thing as a "good" or "bad dog," only "good" or "bad" owners.

There are laws - call the cops!

[Sam Crane]

Indeed, there are laws in our very own Williamstown, leash laws that say you cannot have your dog off leash unless it is under voice command, which this dog obviously was not. She was clearly irresponsible....

[aardvark]

The individual in question, alas, is not one with whom polite intervention would have been useful. A place like Williamstown generally runs by norms, not laws - people are generally respectful and considerate, it's not the kind of place where you call the cops to deal with an off-leash dog. But next time I will.

I've got nothing against dogs, but they shouldn't be on playgrounds - kids are scared of them, and kids SHOULD be scared of them. I've been even more delighted to hear from several office mates this morning that the dog in question is known for being "out of control", barking fiercely at passers by and the like.

[Abu Tabakh]

Totally outrageous! I was mauled by a "very nice, friendly, loving" German Shepherd/Lab mix when I was a kid. I required quite a bit plastic surgery to put my face back together. AA, please call the cops or animal control next time.