A reader writes....> "I ran into someone this morning who said that a female officer pulled a gun (taser?) on a young man with a small white terrier looking dog off leash on the beach. This happened a few days ago (?) around 8am. Here anything about this?"
Blognotes: Yes, I did. Dog owners I talked with said it was a real gun, not the taser gun. Dog owners, be careful out there.
46 comments:
Thanks for the heads up- my god, if an officer filled up my 2 yorkies w/ lead I'd be devastated. They both can be a bit mouthy at times.
All dogs should be leashed at all times unless in a fence area or dog park. I have two dogs and hate nothing more than having unleashed dogs at the Loyola park run up to us. My dogs can't protect themselves by running away. I carry pepper spray in case an aggressive dog does cause problems.
This posting will produce numerous indignant comments from the hysterical pet owners who populate RP.
Craig G might view this act as poetic justice, considering that the mere sight of dog poop on the parkways makes him apoplectic.
I love dogs enough not to have one and make it live bored and cooped up in an urban apartment. There, I said it.
That said, a gun is way harsh. Why not a ticket? Or simply a quick reminder and warning?
I remember walking in our neighborhood and seeing a collie trot around the corner, followed 10 yards behind by its owner. I heard myself address the collie: "Hi, Collie. Why the long face? Why aren't you on a leash?" Both collie and owner kept trotting.
Scott: I agree with you 100% I also love dogs, thinking about the dogs locked up all day in their owners apt, or condo?home all day isn't a pleasant thought.
Life is made up of choices. We all make our choices and justify them.
Serve and Protect
There will always be dog owners who don't think leash laws apply to them. Same goes for dog owners who don't pick up after their pets.
Police don't consider it a high priority to ticket these folks, partly because they have to suffer accusations such as "don't you have more important to do than harass tax-paying dog owners?"
The masses are asses.
To be fair, does anyone actually know WHY the officer had the gun drawn? All we know is that there was a person with a small dog and an officer who felt the need to draw a gun. That in itself is not enough to draw some of the conclusions I'm seeing here. And on top of that, this is a SECOND HAND story, someone told someone else. Who know, the officer might had had a good reason, small dog or not. Nowhere does it say the officer pulled the gun JUST because the dog was off the leash. Maybe hold off on the assessments until more info on this is provided. Just saying...
I was having lunch one day in Andersonville, and this guy is walking up Ashland with his unleashed boxer dog. A woman is heading the opposite direction with what looks to be a leashed, restrained pit bull. Anyhow, this boxer dog goes totally nuts, barking, snarling and antagonizing the other dog. His idiot owner is chasing the dog is circles while the woman is trying to get her dog away from both them.
It made me very nervous to say the least, and I was thinking wow, this could have been easily avoided if they guy would LEASH HIS DOG.
Here's an excerpt from Eric Zorn's column today. I think a lot of dog owners will find it quite disconcerting (or they'll refuse to admit it is true):
"Dogs don't 'miss' you when you go away," said author Jon Katz, who has written extensively on the bond between humans and dogs. [His] conclusions are supported by university studies of animal behavior. "They might get anxious and confused, but don't mistake that for loneliness or mourning. As soon as they find someone else to take care of them, they forget you pretty quickly." He added, "I don't mean to imply that dogs aren't great. I love my dogs. But I don't need to pretend that they're like people. That doesn't do them any good. Dogs are happiest when you treat and train them as dogs, not children."
my dog is a 14-year-old, geriatric, arthritic, on-chemotherapy golden retriever. not only is she friendly to all humans, but to all animals as well, and is extremely well trained. she spent the first 10 years of her life off-leash, and can't really take a dump with a leash on. could you? so i unsnap it so she can do her thing, pick it up, and we go about our biz. obviously, if you have a dog that could bite someone or something, they should be leashed. otherwise, MYOB
ps-i've witnessed tons of thug-looking dudes see this same old golden, and run screaming the other way like their droopy drawers were lit on fire. saves me from having to pack heat. and the dog's a lot safer to sleep next to than a glock
Edgewater Crime Blog sez: " . . . this guy is walking up Ashland with his unleashed boxer dog."
Lansky sez: " . . . if you have a dog that could bite someone or something, they should be leashed. otherwise, MYOB."
See what I was saying? "There will always be dog owners who don't think leash laws apply to them."
otherwise, MYOBThe leash isn't just to keep your dog from hurting someone (even if it is the "nicest dog in the world"). It's also to keep the dog from hurting itself, i.e. running into the street, engaging in a fight with another bigger dog or (as the story in the paper yesterday related) running and jumping into the lake and almost drowning. It may seem cruel to put them on a leash, but a leash would have prevented the dog AND the owner from almost drowning. In a confined space, like your back yard, sure, let the dog run free. But on the street where the dogs natural instincts to chase things, confront "threats", etc., do your dog a favor and put it on a leash. A little discomfort from straining at the leash is nothing compared to getting hit by a car on Sheridan Road.
Keep your damn dogs on a leash.
It's currently the law for Chicago, so all of you irresponsible dog owners need to either live up to the laws of having a dog or face whatever the finest of the 24th have to offer you
Luckily I live in Uptown
Dog owners should keep their dogs leashed and all animal owners should keep their animals contained.
Having said that, I'll say that if this story was indeed true- an officer aimed a gun at a man with a small unleashed dog because it wasn't leashed- then the officer's reaction was excessive.
By God drug dealers can fill the cracks of Morse like creaping crud in a truckstop restroom but DAMMIT we can't have unleashed 7lb dogs running loose in the park! THAT'S CHAOS!
This leash concept is a real pet peeve of mine, a life long dog owner. As much as my mutt loves me and listens to me....he is a mutt, and to best describe, a dog mutt, not a person. I keep him on a leash because not only is it the law, but it keeps all in contact with him safe. What really gets me are those with amazingly perfect dogs, not on a leash, whose dog runs up to lick my dog in the face. Meanwhile, I have my dog pulled tight on leash, I have moved behind a car or a tree to keep my dog from running at another dog. Then the owner says, what's wrong isn't your dog friendly?
Yes my dog is friendly, but your little 'rat' dog is something my dog might think is a chew toy and he would love to play with it. He won't eat it but he sure will bounce it around and shake it. You should have seen him when he got my child's turtle. Shook that turtle for at least 45 minutes. The turtle didn't crack. Finally my dog gave up.
Dogs belong on leashes for a multitude of reasons. Also, parents with any age child should teach their children not to run up to a dog but always approach with caution and ask the owner, "Is it okay to pet your dog?"
I will help anyone get to know my dog, but under my instruction.
Sorry about the officer pullings his gun but dogs bite!
I think all of YOU should be kept on a leash. I think you are just jealous because you have dogs that you can't control without a leash.
You're as bad as the religious right wanting to control everyone else's lifestyle. Gezzuz!
Some guys are afraid of dogs. And probably with good reason. Ask any copper that works the ghetto how many times gangbanger and drug dealers have sic'd there dogs on them and you might be surprised. Some guys are just naturally afraid of dogs. If in fact this was a small white terrier such as a Westie, then shame on this Officer. He/she is an embarrassment to the Department and IMHO, should find another line of work. If it was a 50lb. "American Stafford Terrier", well that's another story. But I would like to hear the real story before I pass judgement. Just my 2cents.
Don't smoke around me - I don't want your second hand smoke.
Don't talk during the movie in a theater - I don't want to know what you this is going to happen next, what you think of the movie so far or what other movies you may have seen that actor in before.
Don't shove past me on the escalator - If you are in such a hurry and can run up the steps then USE THE STAIRS instead of the escalator and leave me alone.
Keep your dog on a leash - I don't want your dog approaching me or my pet (if I have one) or my child (if I have one of those).
Besides being the law, it's simple good manners, and I don't have to apologize to anyone for wanting to be treated with respect or for wanting to feel safe. Your dog may be the sweetest thing on four feet but I don't know your dog and your dog doesn't know me. Let's just keep it that way, shall we?
- PEACE -
"Don't shove past me on the escalator - If you are in such a hurry and can run up the steps then USE THE STAIRS instead of the escalator and leave me alone."
I completely disagree...in fact that is a huge pet peeve of mine. Why is it so hard to stand aside and give others room to pass? Walking up the escalator is quicker than walking up the stairs. So why, if one is in a hurry, would one want to take the slower stairs route when walking up the escalator is quicker. It's just common courtesy and good manners to give others room to pass if you're in no hurry and want to stand.
Ha! Let's stir the pot some more. All you dog owners SUCK!! I don't have a dog...don't ever want a dog. So you pick up the poop? Well what about the dog piss that destroys the grass and turns the lawn outside my condo bldg into a mudpit. There are too many dog owners who have no clue how their petty childish need for canine companionship is not only annoying and inconvenient to others, but also involve financial COSTS that everbody has to pay for. The next unleashed precious little poochie charging me gets a stiff kick in the muzzle.
First of all, having a dog in an urban area is fine. It really does depend on your breed of dog, how much space you have and the time they are alone. When I was in an office a large portion of the day my dogs had a big run in the early am, a dog walker for 30 minutes at lunch and then me home early to run them again. A lot of dogs really don't want to be outside in the "back yard" without a human anyhow. Now I work from home a large portion of the time, so they are always with me. Should a person keep a big dog or a puppy in a small apartment all day with minimal exercise? Of course not, but you can't judge everyone with the same brush.
The leashes? I would never let my dogs offleash walking down the streets - you never know what might attract their attention and off they go. One of my dogs can be aggressive to other dogs(he is absolutely sweet to people) and if I could tell you how many people bring their dogs up to him, even though I am holding him close to me. And they say, well my dogs friendly - hello!!! mine's not always! Makes me crazy.
Now, to let a dog run free down at the beach - I think that's fine if there's not a lot of people around. Or to let them run in the park - if they stay right with you! We all know the guy that runs and his dog is at the other end of the park - that makes me crazy! People just don't use their head - take the dogs to a part of the beach/park that is not busy if you want them to run.
Yep - it is really funny to see these the thug "trying to be tough" guys move off the sidewalk or into the street because they are afraid of the dogs!@!!! LOL
She should've popped a cap in its ass. Problem solved AND dog owners will learn to keep them on leash.
Jerk Store: Please no not derail the discussion thread.
That's my job, anyway.
All the people bitching here are so funny. My dog is a 100 lbs. beast. He's always off leash when we walk along the beach but none of you will ever have the balls to confront us in person. Hahaha
(I've seen some crazy old hags giving me "the look". Males are too afraid.)
Then there are the dogs that are fine when their owners are home but turn into all-day barking machines the moment the owners head out to work. This building sounds like a kennel sometimes: close a door, barking resumes; go down stairs, more barking; flush, barking; etc.
I have to run fans all day to mask some of it to get some work done. Not sure what else could be done. I used to be a dog lover but now feel much more love for cats. What happened to just having a cat or two?
Every time an apartment turns over in our building I hope for a single elderly lady with cats and plants, who loves to read and do needlework. Nope, another dog, often over the lease's weight limit. Big woof.
Can't complain too much, as it's generally quiet except for the barking machines.
I'm quite tired of how "doggy" Chicago is. Crap all over the sidewalks (Lakeview, anyone?), morons bringing their smelly dogs into businesses and restaurants. Ugh. Nasty.
(Mental) Midget wrote:
"My dog is . . . always off leash when we walk along the beach but none of you will ever have the balls to confront us in person."
Again and again, "the rules don't apply to me" weighs heavy in the logic of many dog owners. The only way to solve the problem is to assign someone to aggressively enforce leash laws, but as I mentioned before, the indignant reaction of those violators who are ticketed will lead more complaints to Craig or even the creation of another blog designed to assert the rights of RP pet owners.
You folks are FREAKS!
i feel the same way about peoples kids. :)
But I would like to hear the real story before I pass judgement. Amen. Once again, no one here knows why the officer pulled the gun out. It might have nothing to do with the dog at all. Perhaps she saw the person selling a few rocks. Perhaps they glimpsed a gun inside the person's jacket. Whatever. But the way this thing has run off the rails into a discussion about leash laws when no one even knows if that's issue here is an interesting study in human thought patterns.
So if anyone has the REAL scoop, please give it so this discussion can have some relevance.
Re: Rogers Park Vigilence saying "By God drug dealers can fill the cracks of Morse like creaping crud in a truckstop restroom but DAMMIT we can't have unleashed 7lb dogs running loose in the park! THAT'S CHAOS!"
What is CHAOS, is people selecting which laws they are willing to obey. If we self patrolled ourselves with a slant toward what is appropriate we wouldn't need laws that control every aspect of our lives.
If you were able to control your dog, we wouldnt need leash laws. If you picked up your dogs poop, we whouldnt need poop laws. If you didnt throw you garbage out your car window, we would need litter laws. If you didnt drive like an ass, we wouldnt need speed limits.
Now which law are you gonna break today cuz your an ass?
god, all you self rightous people...
everyone breaks laws, every single day. think you don't? i call bullshit.
ever go 1 mile over the speed limit? ever not make a complete stop at a stop sign? there are a million examples, nobody is a 100% law abiding citizen.
so, why don't you all get off your high horses, hmmmm?
I don't think anyone's defending speeding or any other lawbreaking here. It's all ticketable, and so is violating the leash law. Nothing "high horse" about wanting laws to be followed by everyone. It's a pretty simple thing to click a leash on to your dog's collar before venturing out for walkies.
Totally agree with Dave. I'm sure none of these folks ever park illegally and then never complain when they get a ticket. I wonder if they were stopped after rolling through a stop sign and ticketed if they would complain?
This blog is filled to he brim with trolls.
I love Dave's lumpen proletariat leap of logic: "Other people drive over the speed limit, so it's okay to walk my dog w/o a leash."
Midget- What kind of dog do you have,where and what time do you walk it?
Sorry for the thread hijack. There's a dorky unkempt dude living (I think) in the garden unit at 1356 greenleaf who had about 6 to 8 toy Doberman (too many to count). In the mornings he would bring them out in a cages and then just let them run all over the neighborhood unleashed. Have not seen or heard him nor the pups in a couple weeks. Was curious if the doggie freaks here would know if this was a potential puppy "mill" or just a rescue operation?
Amen to the barking dogs - that would drive me crazy - my two dogs rarely ever bark - it's usually just if they want my attention or i get them playing. Lots of times it's the little (under the weight limit) dogs that make the most noise - that yapping drives me crazy!
Again, people just need to use common sense - it was a beautiful day yesterday, there were a lot of people at the park, the crazies were drinking on the benches, so it was best to keep your dog leashed. I completely agree with the poop issue. I pick up after my dogs and it makes me very angry when other people don't do the same. Had the dogs out last week and saw a guy with two big pit bulls - both go and he starts to walk away - we said - are you gonna get that? He screams back at us - "my brother is serving in Iran to protect your asses!" What???
(hey, call people out on it when you don't see them picking up after their dogs - it's rude and it's wrong)
My name is Midget! I'm a proud owner of a CHEASAPEAKE retriever named THONG.We live in Rogers Park (North of Chicago) right by the lake. Thong is the most wonderful dog in the whole world. He loves swimming in the lake and going after his ball. Thong loves the ladies, but since he's not cut he can be a little bit aggressive towards male dogs. (It's a boy thing)
During the warm days of the year we love going to the beach early in the morning. I always wear my shorts, tight shirt, hat and backpack. We also bring Thong's chucker and tennis ball. I make Thong wait for me by the park's sidewalk as I walk all the way to the shore. I jump and wave my arms at him to see if he will brake his orders. I especially love doing this when other people are around so everybody can see how great and well behaved Thong really is! After a few more pirouettes, I call him, and Thong comes running at me as fast as he can.
Once in the lake we walk along the beach and I throw the tennis ball as far as my arms allow me (again, it's much better if other dogs are around so to overshadow their swimming abilities and their owner's dog training skills) and Thong will always swim like a Norse god in pursuit of his trophy.
In Rogers Park there's no better dog than THONG. Who could say different?
SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT MEAL.
Midget, by "not cut" I assume you mean he hasn't been neutered? Is that because you intend to breed him? Are you willing to accept the responsibility of raising the puppies or finding them good homes? You say he "loves the ladies" but what happens if one of the females he encounters is in heat? He's not on a leash so exactly how do you keep him from doing what comes naturally? I can't imagine how I would feel if my female canine, which I assure you would be on a leash, was mounted by your 100 pound pet. I wouldn't have the strength or, admitedly, the courage to pull him off and once the copulation has begun it is impossible to interrupt the process without physically endangering both dogs, especially the female. So, if that should happen and assuming I don't want my dog impregnated by your dog, exactly what would you do? Do you understand why it may be a good idea to have him on a leash afterall?
- PEACE -
Gleafsentinel, regarding the toy dobermans - "too many to count" - in a garden apartment at 1356 Greenleaf: I don't think it's either a puppy mill or a rescue - I think the dogs need to be rescued.
My sister is a volunteer foster parent for rescued cats, dogs, horses and goats in Idaho. I asked her for her opinion and she said she couldn't imagine a rescuer violating local leash laws and putting the dogs in danger by letting them run loose through the neighborhood.
Personally, I question whether anyone who is actually running a puppy mill business would willingly run the risk of losing potentially valuable inventory.
We both concluded that this sounds more like a "collector," someone who amasses animals seemingly with good intentions but who, in the long run, doesn't take (or can't take) proper care of them - as evidenced by the lack of proper oversight that you have already witnessed. Obviously, leash laws are being broken here. There is a possibility you may find their living arrangements are gravely lacking as well. It could even be a mental health issue on the owner's part - who's to say, but in the meantime, I'd suggest you call the ASPCA or, at the least, 311 and report the situation.
Obviously the dogs are in danger.
- PEACE -
Awesome: Craig Gernhardt has a counterpart in Brooklyn!
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05102009/news/regionalnews/he_shooed_the_pooch_168519.htm
Fargo Woman wrote: "Obviously the dogs are in danger."
Multiple unleashed Dobermans? Who is the party that's REALLY in danger? Howwabout pedestrians and other human beings?
The animal rescue folks can indulge their psyches all the want about how they're caring humans making a difference in the lives of abandoned or neglected pets. The ones who go to really bad neighborhood alleys to hunt down and neuter feral cats are particularly quirky. And some of them turn into those mentally-ill pet hoarder cat ladies we read about every other week.
What they fail to realize is the futility of their quests. The need to control animal populations is so humongous, they can't help to make a dent in it in their wildest dreams. The mentally ill hoarders tend to make it even worse.
I'm glad there is a public department in nearly every US city that legally euthanizes large numbers of unclaimed or abused strays every week. It's the only realistically way to keep this population plague under control.
There's a very short, very ugly, glass wearing, black haired woman that lives in the NE corners of greenleaf and glenwood and she's the biggest dog hater in Greenleaf ave. (in a way a lot like "gleafsentinel"...) She really hates dogs and that's exactly why we ALWAYS use her building's front yard as my dog's preferred toilet.
Position #2 in the dog hater ranking goes to some old guy that drives a very crappy and rusty black truck and lives either in the same building as the female dog hater or in the very next one.
Gleafsenteniel - I live across the street from that guy (and I am the owner of two pugs who are on leashes) He owned the mother and the father and bred the dogs to sell - he hit my friend up who is his neighbor to try to buy one of the puppies-even offered him a payment plan. I am waiting for the dogs to be run over-he has all of them off-leash-it scares me when I am walking my dogs that his dogs are going to run across the street to say hi
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