Strengthening leash laws is a step toward a better Anchorage

Anchorage, like most cities in America, is home to many happy dog owners. And studies have proved that happiness. Dogs lower their owners’ stress levels and blood pressure, and researchers have documented that people with dogs are more active and take more steps per day while exercising their pets. The benefits to dog owners are clear. For other people, not so much.

Less is written about how Anchorage streams are full of fecal coliform bacteria; baseball diamonds must be checked for piles of brown goo before children play their games; and public trails are littered with piles of dog poop — or bagged poop, which makes even less sense.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, requiring more than 800,000 to seek medical attention. I have been among them; I was bitten in an unprovoked attack by an unleashed dog while riding my bicycle in a municipal park. Many of my friends have endured the same experience.

That’s why it is so important that the Municipality of Anchorage is considering proposed amendments to Title 17, sections 17.05.010 and 17.10.010 of the municipal code, to strengthen regulations related to animals in public places. This is the result of the municipal administration and the Animal Control Advisory Board having determined that we need to reduce the number of loose animals in public places and the altercations that result from pet owners routinely ignoring leash laws outside the multiple off-leash dog parks that have been provided for them.

The proposed changes are not onerous. Rather, they clarify definitions regarding leashes and their use, and close a couple of easily exploitable loopholes.

In recent years, the sense of entitlement among pet owners across the nation has increased to a disturbing level. Animals with phony “service animal” vests now sit in the same grocery shopping carts that carry our fresh produce. Rambunctious dogs jump on random strangers while their owners do nothing but say, “It’s OK, he’s friendly.” They never ask if it’s OK for their pet to put claws and muddy paws all over another person’s clothes. The problem on airlines has gotten so bad that, in December, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to tighten rules to deal with airline passengers who claim their animals must travel in the passenger cabin to provide “emotional support.”

Such feelings of entitlement have reached the point that some people claim stronger leash laws in Anchorage would “unfairly punish the good dog owners.” This argument has two gaping holes: First, being asked to obey the law is not punishment. Second, virtually every owner thinks their dog is wonderful and deserves to be unleashed. That’s tantamount to saying you should be exempt from speed limits because you’re a good driver.

This is about being part of a community. Being good neighbors requires that we curtail selfish desires for the greater good. When we fail on that front, we fail those who live among us. When that happens, tougher laws and enforcement are sometimes required.

With an estimated 70,000 dogs in Anchorage, the proposed changes to our leash laws are, unfortunately, needed. Not to “punish” responsible dog owners, but to provide a stronger tool for dealing with the irresponsible ones.

Let’s hope the stronger rules are approved. Let’s hope we bring unleashed dogs under control so that everyone can fully enjoy the parks and trails that we — not Anchorage’s dogs — fund with our property taxes. And let’s hope we do it before another person is needlessly bitten or a child is mauled, or worse.

Tim Woody is a year-round mountain biker who has been riding Anchorage trails since 1996.

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