Earlier this week we posted an announcement from a reader, Nati, who was looking for the owners of a dog that had bitten him while he was riding his bike. Nati was trying to prevent a painful series of rabies shots and, fortunately, the dog owner stepped forward after the publication.
Here’s another, disturbing account of a dog attack that happened yesterday at The Woodlands Cemetery. Reader Krissy Kim reported that while on a walk with her dog at the cemetery another, off-leash dog approached them, attacked and bit her dog. Here’s what Krissy wrote in an email:
“Yesterday, Thursday 2/28, my husband and I were walking our dog on leash at Woodlands Cemetery. Another dog off leash approached her, they greeted each other appropriately (the owner was still about 50 yards away) when all of the sudden the dog attacked our dog, my husband had to pull him off and body block him during his second lunge for our dog. The dog bit her on the back of the neck and didn’t let go until my husband again pulled him off. At this point the owner was there and did nothing but say, “relax there is no blood”. He then proceeded to get in his car with his dog and drive away. After they left and we checked our dog, he indeed took a small chunk out of her neck (see photo). The vet visit with her antibiotics cost $75.”
According to the cemetery rules, dog walking is allowed, but all dogs have to be on a leash.
Krissy is urging the dog owner to come forward and take responsibility for what his dog did. Krissy says that she has information on this person’s car and license plate number. She described the attacking dog as a medium (40 pound) brindle mixed breed.
She adds, “On the heels of the “biker being bitten” story hopefully this will continue to be an example of how we all need to step up and be responsible pet owners for the sake of our community.”
Krissy can be reached by email: krissykp@gmail.com
Editor’s Note: We would appreciate any comments except for those blaming certain dog breeds instead of irresponsible owners.
March 1st, 2013 at 1:45 pm
It’s crazy to hear and see this many irreponsible dog owners!! Krissy, I hope your dog is ok and hope this person will come forward. We constantly have to check our sidewalk and yard because irreponsible dog owners just let their dogs poo anywhere and everywhere (without carrying plastic bags). With previous article on Nati getting bitten, I also have seen this unleashed dog walking with his owner on 45th and Osage; when I used to have a dog I used to avoid that block. Please people, we live in a community, please respect other people…
March 1st, 2013 at 1:50 pm
I’m gonna bet that the very people that need to see this information don’t even read this website.
March 1st, 2013 at 2:14 pm
There used to be conflicting signs at the entrance to Woodland, one said “no dogs allowed”, the other said, “all dogs must be on a leash”. Now I think only the leash one is there. Even with both those signs I usually encounter more than one dog while jogging in Woodlands and they are almost never on a leash. Luckily I have never been bothered by them. Come one people if your dog cannot be controlled put them on the leash!
March 1st, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Please file a police report.
March 1st, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Dave: it shouldn’t be a matter of whether the dog can be controlled. The dogs need to be leashed, end of story, unless they’re in a designated off-leash area. In almost every single instance the owner of an off-leash dog will act blasé or even aggrieved, when confronted, and go on about how well-trained he is, or how friendly she is, or how the dog will obey commands no matter what. Sometimes they will be making these claims even as their dogs are acting inappropriately! Not only are they flaunting the laws, they are disrespecting other walkers who are uncomfortable around dogs and other dog-walkers whose own animals may be upset by the approach of another dog. Not to mention the risks: a nasty accident was narrowly missed on Baltimore Ave a couple months ago when a car swerved to avoid an off-leash dog that was running across the street toward my leashed dog. Plus, every time one of these incidents occurs (and every time people fail to perform other basic doggie duties like cleaning up!) the chances increase that new ordinances will be passed making life more difficult for all of the dog owners, responsible and irresponsible alike.
March 1st, 2013 at 2:46 pm
This is disgusting behaviour. Every dog caught off-leash in the City of Philadelphia (this includes Clark Park, by the way) needs to be seized from the owner. The owner needs to be fined heavily, and prevented from owning another dog in perpetuity.
Every dog. Period.
October 19th, 2013 at 9:13 am
I agree. Dogs are animals. They can not always be predicted. I was attacked and bitten by two dogs off the leash, only to have the owner tell me that “they are just puppies”. Well they were big puppies and they bit me, breaking the skin and causing me to seek medical attention along with shots. Respect others around you and leash your dogs.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:03 pm
All dogs MUST be on a leash inside the Woodlands, and we need dog walkers to start policing each other as we don’t have the resources to dedicate to this. We’ve had some problems in the last year, and have asked some dog owners not to come back. If dog problems continue to take limited resources away from the Woodlands, we’ll have to reconsider letting dogs in the cemetery at all (something we don’t want to have to do, as many of our dog walkers are great!).
Please follow the rules, and if you see someone not following the rules, speak up! We want everyone to enjoy the space, and not everyone likes or feels comfortable around dogs.
The Woodlands is not a public park- it is a privately owned non-profit and allows the public to use the space 365 days a year. We receive no public funding and we rely on private donations and fundraising efforts for much of our support. We need people to respect the space, and our resources.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation.
Jessica Baumert
Woodlands Director
March 1st, 2013 at 6:54 pm
lol
March 1st, 2013 at 7:22 pm
Oh p, how we haven’t missed you!
March 1st, 2013 at 10:40 pm
just letting you all know that you can’t be off your guard even with a leashed dog–as some of you have already heard in my post in response to Nati’s story, I had the terrifying experience of a huge leashed dog getting away from her owner and attacking my small leashed dog as we were walking two streets away from our house (dog and owner apparently live on 52nd Street but were visiting her friend on 4500 block of Kingsessing). Although we thought she was ok, it turns out she was bitten in two spots on her neck and sustained a surface wound on her rear paw.
Sorry to hear about your experience, Krissy and good luck with getting the owner to come forward.
March 2nd, 2013 at 7:22 am
In my experience, there are plenty of off-leash dogs in the cemetery, many of them with joggers doing the paths around the perimeter. Many of them are not under voice control either.
March 2nd, 2013 at 7:35 am
And for any off-leash owners here:
I get that you believe your dog is friendly. Maybe they even are.
Mine isn’t. She’s had too many close calls with unleashed dogs while she was pooping, she’s on guard unless the other dog is on a leash or we are in a controlled situation.
An unleashed dog is a threat to a leashed dog.
You don’t know how well socialized the leashed dog is. You don’t know if the leashed dog is having a bad day. Just because YOUR dog is “friendly” doesn’t mean every other dog out in the world is. Some dogs just prefer to be left alone. They all have different personalities.
If your unleashed dog bites my leashed dog, even if my dog initiated the fight, your dog is automatically at fault because they were unleashed. Don’t condemn your companion because of your stupidity/flagrant disregard for the laws in a city as packed as this one.
March 2nd, 2013 at 2:46 pm
I have such mixed feelings about this. Whenever I go to San Francisco, I’m so impressed by all the well-behaved off-leash dogs there. It feels like hardly anyone uses a leash. At the same time, I myself have a dog who is dog aggressive and it is scary when someone has on off leash dog that they allow to approach my dog, assuming that he will be friendly.
Also, did that dog really need veterinary treatment for that scrape? Seems a little excessive but of course it’s a personal choice. It sounds like the owner of the aggressive dog was kind of a dick, but this particular instance was a little blown out of proportion. I’ve had problems walking my dog in the woodlands too and I’m not saying there’s not an issue there. Of course I agree that responsible pet ownership should be a priority but I think it is pretty over the top to say that everyone whose dog ever is off leash should have their dog taken away. C’mon.
March 2nd, 2013 at 2:50 pm
http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/yellow-ribbon-leash-dogs-campaign
Also, I saw this yellow leash project recently and thought it was a good idea for those of us who have dogs that aren’t okay being approached by other dogs.
March 2nd, 2013 at 3:18 pm
One of my dogs is extremely aggressive toward other dogs, so as soon as I heard about the yellow ribbon idea I tied one around her leash. It’s interesting because even people who aren’t familiar with the concept will still give her more space. It’s kind of like people treat her as just… different. And they don’t necessarily want to know why, so we get extra space.
Also, I have to concur that one of my biggest fears is my dogs being approached by an off-leash dog. I can never walk them by Clark Park for just that reason, which is a shame. Leash your dogs, people!
March 2nd, 2013 at 3:29 pm
My technique for Woodlands with my own dog-aggressive golden is to keep a very careful eye out for dogs off leash. When I see one I shout loudly “Call your dog!” I follow that up with, “Please leash your dog. My dog is not good with other dogs.” I have always gotten a good response. But it takes keeping an eagle out all the time.
Even with on leash dogs, I avoid them because of the chance of retractible leashes which give other dogs too much scope for getting too close to my dog.
Anne
March 2nd, 2013 at 10:05 pm
I’d like to share that although I hadn’t taken our dog to the vet Monday after she was attacked by the leashed dog who got away from her owner on Kingsessing, after talking with a few people, I decided it would be worth having her checked out today. And I’m glad I did because after the vet shaved her fur exposing the two bites, he showed me how she had swelling and he ended up prescribing a stronger antibiotic than he was originally going to. And her bite looks smaller than the picture shown above!
March 3rd, 2013 at 10:52 am
If you own a dog, your dog will get bit at some point and most owners handle the incident responsibly with each other and move on. In Kimmy’s and Nati’s instance, they came looking for help to locate the owner, not to bash certain breeds of dogs or dog owners in West Philly, etc.
Owning a dog that’s more aggressive than average, I’ve learned that leashing him is one of the variables that can cause his aggressive reaction. Dogs on leash more often react more aggressively to the same stimuli than off leash.
Please see excerpt from study, below…
http://www.cesarsway.com/training/thewalk/New-Study-on-Dog-Walking-Behaviors
I am NOT advocating off leash dogs though.
What I’m advocating is comprehension and personal responsibility by dog owners: walk your dogs on leash in public spaces but give your dog off-leash time as often as possible. His behavior and listening should improve, making training more productive and your time with/without your mutt more enjoyable.
If you give your dog off leash time, make sure you do so responsibly because the space you’re using is often shared by other users. Woodlands and the Bowl is a good example. There are many many responsible owners, but a couple reported incidents make it seem like we have an epidemic. We don’t…we just have more venues to complain.
March 3rd, 2013 at 1:17 pm
I think the bottom line about walking any dog at the Woodlands is what Jessica Baumert the Woodlands Director says: All dogs must be on leash at the Woodlands. There doesn’t seem to be any ambiguity about that rule. We should be grateful they allow dog walkers access to this beautiful piece of land so be respectful, pick up after your dog, leash your dog and maintain good relations with staff – simple. Don’t abuse this place because we will all lose it, even the responsible dog owners.
March 3rd, 2013 at 4:38 pm
I’m a veterinary technician and while I’m not going to get into any of the legalities (except to say that our ER sees far fewer injuries on leashed dogs than unleashed ones) I do highly recommend that ANY injury get checked out.
Even the ones that look really small can close over and turn into nasty abscessed infections under the skin. Plus, unless you’ve got a hairless pet, it’s hard to tell the extent of the damage until you shave and clean the wound.
Lastly, here’s a big reminder to everyone to update your dog’s rabies vaccine if you’re walking them out where they can be attacked. The other dog might not be up to date, but if yours IS, there’s less legal hassle and no need for quarantines, etc.
March 4th, 2013 at 9:44 am
Edde, i take issue with your assertions. Why should EVERY dog get bitten at some point? That is ridiculous. Additionally, the entire city is shared space, and dogs MUST be leashed at all times in public space. If you want your dog to have unleashed time, join a dog park, get a yard, or drive out to the country. (I am a dog owner who walks my dog on-leash.)
March 4th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
@mds chill, Edde clearly wasn’t claiming that all dogs SHOULD get bitten. It does happen, though, whether it’s an intentional attack or just a case of two dogs playing too roughly.
I’m digging the yellow ribbon idea. My dog is super-friendly off-leash, but tends to be weirdly aggressive on-leash.
Also, repeating a question from a previous thread… is there any way we could organize another dog park in the area? My understanding is that there is a waiting list for the Chester Ave. one. I’m sure this is easier said that done, but it does sound like something that people would be interested in.
March 4th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
people who own animals are no better than animals themselves. you all need to get a life. proceed!
March 4th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
@ MDS Chill
Between adoption and the unfortunate day our dogs pass away, statistics imply they will have an incident-to hope otherwise is your choice.
And per my original post, I am not advocating walking dogs off leash in the neighborhood, at the farmers market, etc. What I’m advocating is dog owners find appropriate time and space for off-leash time with their dogs and share that space responsibly.
NYC Parks and Rec. realized that “…well socialized and exercised dogs benefit the entire City with less barking, less on-leash aggression, less tendency to become territorial, friendlier behavior towards people and other dogs, and, as Health Department statistics over the past 20 years clearly show, a dramatic decrease in the number of dog bites”…and neighborhood crime.
http://www.nycoffleash.com/html/FAQ.htm
A recent extensive study noted similar benefits created by sufficient off-leash opportunity for dogs…
http://www.cesarsway.com/training/thewalk/New-Study-on-Dog-Walking-Behaviors
As Neil De Grasse Tyson noted, “The good thing about science is that its true whether you believe in it or not.”
As a result, many municipalities have introduced off leash hours within parks, dedicated spaces for off leash, etc. because of the *many* benefits responsible dog owners provide their community.
Oh…and I appreciate your suggestions. My dog gets plenty of off-leash time in the city and elsewhere-you’re welcome to join us anytime-its a lot of fun!
March 4th, 2013 at 1:36 pm
@Arwin, there is a waiting list for Chester Ave, as well as a requirement to do volunteer work outside of the park in order to be a member (which I couldn’t do because of my schedule).
I take my dog to the Schuylkill River Dog run, but it would be nice to have something like that in West Philly!