Signs of spring are everywhere. Tulips bursting through the earth, leaf buds emerging on trees and piles of canine leftovers dotting the landscape.
Humans are venturing back out with their pets, so it’s a good time to establish some boundaries and remind everyone what makes a good dog owner.
Local animal experts say it comes down to one thing: “Being responsible for your companion animal.”
Off leash is often off-limits
Chicago, Naperville, Aurora, Tinley Park, even unincorporated Cook County have leash laws. In fact, I’m told, most municipalities have ordinances forbidding owners from walking a dog off its leash off property. Failure to abide can result in a fine.
Even worse, it can result in the injury of another human or another animal, most likely, the unleashed dog.
Dawn Rehus has been an animal trainer for 30 years. She works with rescue dogs, does in-home training and teaches classes out of I’ll Be Doggone in Mokena.
“I don’t know why people do it public areas. I do walk my dogs off the leash, but in very secluded areas, places where there aren’t any people,” she said.
Running freely, she said, enables dogs to do a lot of the sniffing that releases calming endorphins. It is beneficial to burning off extra energy and helping them relax, she said.
“But walking your dog off leash in a neighborhood should just not be acceptable. There’s just too much that can happen,” she said.
Another dog can get out of its yard. Another owner also could be walking his animal off leash and might not be able to stop it. Plus, she said, you can’t always see what’s coming around a corner, whether it’s an animal or a car.
Karen Schutt, animal control officer for Tinley Park, said, “I don’t know why all of a sudden so many people are letting their dogs run loose.”
Youth baseball fields seem to be a popular spot for letting dogs chase a ball, she said, but the land is owned by the park district, which, for safety reasons, forbids this kind of activity.
“Even though you may think your dog is completely obedient, you never know what’s going to happen,” she said.
The dogs can get hit by a car or attacked by another dog, Schutt said, “And owners are liable for what their dog does, especially if they’re not on their property.”
She cited a recent incident in Chicago in which a woman was walking her two pit bulls off leash. Another walker felt threatened and, within his rights, shot one of them.
Though it doesn’t happen often, she said, people have been bitten by loose dogs. That happens more often when a dog sneaks out the front door or gets out of the yard, not necessarily because it was walking off leash.
Still, she said, even when a dog is on its owner’s property, it must be supervised and under voice control.
“If your dog is on the porch and another dog comes by and your dog goes after it, you are liable,” she said
Fines for not abiding by the town’s ordinance can range from $50 to $750, she said.
Mark Rosenthal, deputy director of Cook County Animal and Rabies Control, said, “A lot of people don’t know it’s the law. A lot of times it’s just a matter of education. We’re not trying to be mean. We ask them to put their animal back on the leash because it’s really for the protection of the animal.
“It’s absolutely a great thing for dogs to sniff and run freely, but they can do that on leash,” he said.
Schutt said, if necessary, consider a long leash. Or, head to a designated dog park.
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Protecting the public’s health
Mamadou Diakhate, administrator of Cook County Animal and Rabies Control, said there’s another equally important reason to keep your dog on a leash.
To prevent or minimize the spread of disease.
“We want to minimize interaction between your dog and wildlife so diseases like distemper are not passed along,” he said.
“That’s the same reason we require people to pick up after their dogs. Leaving feces about is a public health hazard. There are diseases that can be transmitted from dogs to humans and to other animals,” he said.
Plus, dog feces left out in the open can attract rats, which have been known to feed on it, Diakhate said.
Schutt said most towns have ordinances requiring dog owners to pick up the feces in their own yard. If a neighbor complains, a homeowner can be fined.
“The ordinances are not meant to punish people but to promote good health,” Diakhate said.
Rabies and chips
In addition, Diakhate said, dog owners must get their animals vaccinated against rabies and keep the rabies tag with them.
There are lots of low-cost clinics that dog owners can take advantage of, including one that will be run by the Cook County (www.cookcountyil.gov/agency/animal-and-rabies-control) in April.
Lastly, Rosenthal said, “It is not enough to microchip your dog. You also need to register that chip’s serial number.
“Many people think a chip is like a LoJack, that it’s a tracking device. But tracking is not automatic. The number needs to be registered” in order for anyone to make sense of whose dog it is.
What to do if you’re attacked
Always carry a spray such as Pet Corrector, Rehus said. While it won’t hurt the dog, it can stall it long enough for the owner to take control. She’s even used it to fend off coyotes.
If a dog charges you, she said, don’t turn your back.
“Stand your ground,” she said. “Keep your dog as close to you as possible. Put your hand up in a stop position. It is a universal sign, even to a dog.”
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years.