Loose Dogs on Trail

[lynnc]

Today two friends and I were hiking on Blue Ridge trail.  My friend had her two bulldogs with her (she did not have them on a leash - she had forgotten it).  A woman was coming down the trail with eight loose dogs!!  She went off trail and tried to hold her dogs.  Well, as you can imagine, it didn't work.  One of the dogs, a chow-retriever mix, attacked one of the bull dogs. Grabbed it by the back of the neck and was shaking it.  They both went over the side and were sliding down the mountain.  My friend went chasing after them and was able to get the dogs loose.  We were screaming at the woman - are you crazy?  What are you doing hiking with 8 loose dogs?  She never said a word.  Did not apologize or ask how the dog was.  She just left. 

Does anyone have any idea who this woman is?

[Iris]

Can you describe her? I may know.

[lynnc]

I barely looked at her - too busy trying to separate dogs.  Reddish blond hair - mid 40's?

[clint]

Well to be fair, she was no more in the wrong for 8 loose dogs than your friend was for 2.

All dogs in the forest are required to be on a leash at all times.

As a former SAR member I have been involved in many dog rescues, where dogs go over the side and are either injured or killed in falls. Leashes are not only important for the safety of hikers but also for the dogs.

[ScrubOak]

[angelwolf326]

Is her dog okay?  Did it have to go to the vet?

[Kristaldawn]

Sorry to hear about her dog, I hope everything is okay with him. but this little law also applies to FLUME CYN RD. When you walk your dog!!! Just because we are pushed to the outside of town over a diffrent county line, DOESN'T MEAN YOUR DOG IS SPECIAL AND THIS DOESN"T APPLY!! Wake up people!!   Put them on a leash!

[ScrubOak]

LA County
The Leash Law: It is not permissible to let your dog run at large day or night, with or without a license (County Code Title 10, Section 10.32.010).

San Bernardino County Leash Law
San Bernardino County law (Code: 32.0108 Control of Animals) requires all animals to be restrained whenever they are on public property or unenclosed private property.

A person having custody of any dog shall not permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any such dog to defecate or urinate upon a public street or sidewalk; the floor of any common hall in any apartment house, hotel, or other multiple dwelling; upon any entrance way, stairway, or wall immediately abutting on a public sidewalk; or upon the floor of any theater, shop, store, office building, or other building used by the public.

[MerlinsPage]

    I just love folks who walk down the roads of our great village without a waste bag, and have their pet leave gifts next to our homes.
Perchance, if I knew their homes I might just like to come by and have my Mastiff leave a gift.

Share and share alike. 

[lynnc]

I agree about the leashes, but 8 dogs is over the top.  The max number of dogs per household allowed in SB county is 3!!

[clint]

I agree about the leashes, but 8 dogs is over the top.  The max number of dogs per household allowed in SB county is 3!!

You can have up to four dogs before you are required to have a kennel license. At five or more dogs you are required to get a kennel license and find no limitation in on how many dogs a kennel may have.
So you can easily have more than three dogs. That was a very quick read of the county code so if you can find something disputing that please post it.

[lynnc]

Okay Clint, I accepted your challenge and called Animal Control and Code Enforcement.  The number of dogs and/or cats is determined by lot size.  Up to 7200 sq ft - 2 animals.  7200 - 9,999 sq ft - 3 animals.  10,000 to 19,999 sq ft - 4 animals.

[clint]

Excellent! It was not a challenge. One problem with the County Code web site is that it is not updated and lots of info there is wrong. So thanks for taking the time to get the details. Good to know!

And that makes sense actually, that it would be based on lot size.

[Wrightwood]

That's probably why the animal control officer stated (at the WWPOA meeting) that most properties in Wrightwood are only allowed 2.

[Sagebrush]

Come on people.....We all know that one of the joys of living in WW is hiking and doing trails with your dogs off leash. I hiked with 4 dogs off leash today up at INSPO and had a blast. Did not see anyone with 8 dogs. I think I would have remembered that!!

The key here is to only have dogs off leash who are socialized!

[clint]

Uh...NO. There is no "key" here. The ONLY thing to do here is OBEY THE REGULATIONS. Did I miss a sentence in the forest service rules where it says "...must be on leash, unless in your own opinion your dog is properly socialized"?

This is the same mentality that causes people to trespass and ride dirt bikes through peoples yards.

In a civilized society we don't get to pick and choose which rules we obey.

[Sagebrush]

Uh yeah....that is the key here...

When people talk about a possible dog park being built everyone freaks out and points out all the open forest in back of us to run them in. When people use the open forest they say they want them to be on a leash. I don't want to hike with my dogs on a leash. They don't need to be on them.

I don't feel this is the same mentality that causes trespassing and riding dirtbikes through peoples yards. I don't feel that I am trespassing on Mother Nature and I sure as heck don't let my dogs run into peoples yards!

[NOONE-5150]

Come on people.....We all know that one of the joys of living in WW is hiking and doing trails with your dogs off leash. I hiked with 4 dogs off leash today up at INSPO and had a blast. Did not see anyone with 8 dogs. I think I would have remembered that!!

The key here is to only have dogs off leash who are socialized!

Really...  you have total control of four dogs off leash?  And then when the other 8 dogs off leash come across you on a mtn trail you still have total control ?  We will call you the dog wisperer.

[lynnc]

Sagebrush, what would you have done with four dogs off leash if you had run into the woman with eight dogs off leash?  It only takes one dog who is not "socialized" to cause a major problem.  My friend (whose dog was attacked) is a vet.  Every night she works the emergency clinic, she stitches up dogs that have been attacked by other dogs.  The problem is the "pack" mentality.  Once one dog starts attacking, others tend to join in.  You need to think twice about walking dogs off the leash.  I can guarantee my friend learned her lesson.  And she said she is only going to hike with one dog at a time.  Even if she had both dogs on leashes, if one had been attacked and dragged down the hill (like what happened), what would she have done with the other dog?

You seem to think this is not important and you implied there was no one out there with eight dogs.  Well, yesterday there was.  And tomorrow she might be out there again.  So use your brains and protect your dogs.  Oh, and don't break the law! You have to have your dogs on a leash in the national forest and in the county.  Just because we live in the mountains, people seem to have the mentality "it doesn't apply to me".  And that is just wrong.

[Sagebrush]

We would have done what we always do when we run into off leash dogs on that trail... Let them meet and greet eachother. Im not saying this lady should be walking off leash with aggressive dogs, in fact Im saying the opposite. I do think this is important and the lady should be confronted. Please don't put words in my mouth as to what I might feel. All I said was that I didn't see her! Not that you were wrong...