Leash Laws - and a Concerned Neighbor

Leash laws in Maryland and in Baltimore County are there for a reason--to protect people and pets. We all have surely observed pets running off-leash. Sadly, many of us, too, have seen pets struck by cars or hear about a pet running away and never being found.

The following letter was received by the board in regard to leash laws:

I am sending this to you because you seem to be concerned about crime in the neighborhood.


In Rogers Forge, there seems to be a growing problem with people walking their dogs off leash. I happened to see someone walking a dog off leash today at the triangle as I was driving home from work.

One especially flagrant violation is a Rogers Forge resident who allows his white pitbull off leash at Towson University behind Stanmore Road (frequently early Sunday mornings). I was very disturbed this past Sunday at 6:50 a.m. when the pitbull charge after me and my dog when we were in the alley behind our home at 302 Stanmore Rd. I was lucky to be close enough to our gate to be able to get inside before the attacking dog got to us. My dog is over ten years old and I do not want him hurt by a pit bull.

It may be of interest to the dog owners to know that they can be sued and I doubt that the homeowners insurance is going to cover off leash dogs that are off the owners property. About a year ago, my wife received a severe bite from an off leash dog on Stanmore Rd. that required a hospital visit. I was out of the country at the time and she did not think to call the police or contact an attorney to sue the owner. If I had been in town at the time and seen the size of the wound, I would certainly have contacted the police and an attorney regarding the attack on my wife. I personally would like to let all dog owners know that I will not hesitate to call the police and sue the owner of any animal that attacks me or my dog.

Maybe we can get the word out to dog owners that they may be taking a substantial risk by letting their dogs run off leash. People often say that their dog is fine and would never attack anyone. I have been a dog owner most of my life and at one time in the past I was a breeder of purebred dogs and belonged to a AKC sanctioned kennel club. I know at any dog can be unpredictable in certain situations especially if the dog thinks it needs to defend it's owner or property.

Can we try to make Rogers Forge dog owners aware of the information in the attached links? Let's try to get some information out to the public. Maybe the dog owners could lobby the county counsel for a sanctioned dog park where dogs could be safely allowed to exercise off leash.

Leash Laws Are A Fact: The leash laws in Maryland require that dogs be restrained and not permitted to run "at large". The Courts in Maryland have recognized that the purpose of a leash law is to protect the public at large from attacks by various animals, including dogs. Accordingly, a claimant may use the violation of the leash law alone to establish a prima facie case for negligence. Where the leash law has been violated, the owner need not have had any notice that their dog was prone to attack.

http://resources.baltimorecountymd.gov/Documents/Health/Disease%20Control/acinfo2007.pdf

http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Sep/1/128240.html

http://www.edgarsnyder.com/accidents/dogbite/questions/case.html?ref=http%3A//www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26source%3Dhp%26q%3Dmaryland+dog+leash+law%26aq%3D0%26oq%3Dmaryland+dog+le%26aqi%3Dg1

Regards,
Arthur Oslund