Dog owners beware: Bend Park and Rec and Bend Police are stepping up enforcement of leash laws.
Special patrols will be out in parks and on trails March 28-30 with reminders about leashing your furry friend.
“Lots of people don’t realize that having their dog off-leash, just the sight of it, can bring real fear to other people,” said Jeff Hagler, the Parks Steward Manager for Bend Parks and Recreation District. “Especially if they have their dog on leash and there’s an approaching off-leash dog. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Often it leads to conflicts.”
Central Oregon Daily News’s Brooke Snavely didn’t have to go far to find somebody who had a bad encounter with an off-leash dog.
“I had a dog come right up to my dogs while they’re on leash,” said Mary Robinson, who lives in Bend. “A dog came up and they wanted to attack that dog. I had to do everything I could to stop it.”
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Complaints about off-leash dogs and reports of fights between leashed and unleashed dogs top the list of problems in parks.
The dog leash saturation patrols are meant to be friendly and informative, but park stewards and police say they will bring the hammer down on repeat offenders.
“I believe it’s $275 and then animal nuisance. If your dog does bite, that can be a $500 ticket, plus your dog could end up on probation,” said Charlie Redline, a Community Service Officer for the Bend Police Department. “You have to go to court on a lot of this stuff so it’s pretty simple, leash your dog. It prevents a lot of these issues.”
“The biggest thing is getting people to understand the reason behind the leash law,” Hagler said. “It’s not just a thing to prevent them from having fun with their dog. It really is a safety issue. It really helps other people enjoy the park more when there’s not the possibility of an off-leash dog coming over and causing problems.”
The leash law patrollers will reward dogs on leashes with dog treats and thank their humans with kindness and appreciation.