Dogs and Horses; Why Should Well-Behaved Dogs Ever Be Leashed;

A guy who rides his horse every day in Prospect Park called today to say that he's been complaining for years about unleashed dogs on the bridle paths--where dogs are never allowed at all--it's been only getting worse, and the cops are not enforcing the law. He even got a formal meeting with Deputy Inspector Argenziano, the commanding officer of the 78th Precinct (to whom we've written twice and gotten no response). Argenziano told him that cops have "discretion" about whether to issue a summons (true as far as it goes) and that if they issued a summons to every owner of an unleashed dogs "there would be an uproar". In short, the cops won't enforce the law because the scofflaws would complain too much.

The horse guy also said that he'd been told that the cops have an "affinity" for the dog owners whom they perceive as "blue-collar guys" like themselves. We'd beg to differ with this perception of dog owners, but assuming it's true, remember then-Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's remark about "hard-working Americans--white Americans"?

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A comment from Ashley on our post, "They're Still On the Nethermead":

I am so angry reading these hateful posts; leashing well behaved dogs should not be necessary in a large park such as Prospect Park. Playing fetch and running free is a very important part of enjoying life for dogs and for their owners. Why is this group so interested in other people's business when it doesn't affect them? I completely understand if dangerous dogs were out and about, but in all of the videos posted none of the dogs are bothering other park-goers and in my 10 years living in park slope I have seen a dog engaged in any dangerous activity with humans. Please reconsider was your unfounded bias is doing to people who have a genuine love of dogs and are just trying to enjoy their lives without bothering others.

The videos are of dogs that are unleashed illegally, either after 9 A.M. or where they may never be unleashed. Many people are afraid of unleashed dogs, unleashed dogs often approach--sometimes threateningly--strange people--or their leashed dogs--who do not want to be approached by a dog, and unleashed dogs prevent many people from enjoying the park in the way they choose (for example, playing soccer, riding a horse, riding a bicycle, etc.)You have no right, legal or moral, to run "your dog free" for your own enjoyment and that of your dog, outside of off-leash hours. Doing so prevents us from enjoying the park. That is very much our business, and you have a lot of gall complaining that it's not.