Wednesday, September 28, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Sisters is not
a dog park
Sisters resident Maureen
Palmer recently contacted
The Nugget with a complaint
regarding off leash dogs at
Sisters Elementary School
(SES).
Palmer’s house backs
up to SES and she recently
witnessed a pair of off-leash
dogs taking down a young
deer with the animal cry-
ing in terror. At another time
from behind her fence, she
watched a young buck being
attacked by off-leash dogs
(the buck’s tongue was torn
nearly out of its mouth as she
watched it limp away).
Palmer has seen off-leash
dogs attack deer on three dif-
ferent occasions in the past
year, all at the elementary
school ball field next to her
home. She notices unleashed
dogs playing behind the ele-
mentary school on a daily
basis.
Just recently Lorna Clarke
of Sisters posted an alert on
Sisters UN-Swap Facebook
page to all folks that take
their dogs to SES ball field
off leash.
“We are witnessing
weekly events of dog/deer/
human interaction that are
resulting in injury and even-
tual death to the deer and
potentially to dogs not to
mention what could happen
to the people involved,” she
wrote.
She went on to say that
folks should understand that
Sisters is a deer migratory
area, especially at the far
edges of the ball field where
the deer bed down at night
and rest during the day.
The school yard is NOT
an unleashed dog park. Keep
your pet leashed out of regard
for other dogs, children, and
wild animals.
Off-leash dogs have also
attempted to attack leashed
dogs several times over the
past year at Sisters Creekside
Park.
There are signs in the
parks that instruct all people
to leash their dogs while in
Sisters’ city parks.
Folks have the right to
walk in a public park without
being confronted by loose
dogs. Dog owners do not
have the right to let their dogs
run loose in the park. There
are dog parks in Central
Oregon where your furry
friends can play off-leash and
there are facilities (including
Central Bark) that have dog-
gie play groups.
Does Deschutes County
have a leash law? No; how-
ever it does have an “at-
large” ordinance. According
to Deschutes County, animal
control County Code 6.08.15
defines at large to mean a
dog or other animal found off
the premises of the owner or
keeper while the dog or ani-
mal is not under the complete
control of a capable person.
Dogs get distracted. Even
if your pooch is under strong
verbal command, it’s too
easy for him to have “selec-
tive hearing” when running
around off-leash. You may
think you have Rover under
control, but if a wild animal
went running under his nose
he just might chase it. What if
something suddenly spooked
your dog, like a vehicle
backfiring? He could end up
out in the street and in that
moment get hit by a car. The
best trained dog in the world
might not respond to his
human’s command for many
reasons.
Many pet parents think
their dog is the friendliest
dog in the world, and that
13
photo by Jodi Schneider McnAMee
Kaylee is on her harness at all times when walking outdoors.
everyone else should love
their dog the way they do.
But who wants a strange
dog jumping on you or your
dog, or otherwise interact-
ing with you without your
consent?
Being a responsible dog
owner is more than just feed-
ing Rover a healthy diet or
buying the latest, trendy toys
or debating the merits of pos-
itive training methods.
And you may own a very
good-natured dog, but what
about all the other dogs?
Your dog could be attacked
by another dog if that ani-
mal considers your dog to
be invading his territory. Or
another dog may see your
unleashed pet as a potential
danger to his human. Your
dog could be seriously hurt.
While off-leash, your
dog could accidently scare
a child or an elderly person
and cause him to fall. You are
responsible for your dog’s
behavior.