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Holiday Bummer
I was depressed to read about a policeman shooting an off-leash dog in a Bedford-Stuyvesant park earlier this month. I heard about it through NYCdog—a New York City off-leash advocacy group. The dog, a three-year-old named Diamond, was running toward the cops “wagging her tail” when one of them shot her in the chest. After two days in critical care, Diamond is on the mend.
Based on the story as it was reported in the New York Post, I agree with advocates who say the cops overreacted. (Although I doubt they’ll be on the hook for this incident.) But I have a second—potentially less popular—takeaway: guardian responsibility. Dogs who romp off-leash must have excellent recall skills; shouting “she’s not going to hurt you” isn’t a substitute. There are lots of compelling reasons your dog needs to come when called, and, for city slickers, trigger-happy cops is just one more.
Lisa Wogan
December 24, 2007 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
A wagging tail doesn't mean a dog is not aggressive or on high alert. Recent studies have found that dogs wag their tails more to the right when they see their owners, and more to the left when they see an unfamiliar, dominant dog. In both cases, the dog wags its tail. The shooting was the owner's fault, not the cops'.
Posted by: Lisa Woody | Jan 4, 2008 5:28:03 PM
I'm with you Lisa on the recall argument. Anyone, regardless of where they live - city or suburbia - is responsible for managing their dog.
Parents (let's hope) wouldn't let their toddler or young child wander unsupervised on hectic, city streets and neither should a responsible dog “parent.”
Posted by: Suzanne Quigley | Jan 3, 2008 11:01:05 AM
As a lifetime New Yorker, who has been through Bed Stuy many times, I agree 100% on the necessity for recall. In the case of Bed-Stuy, we are talking about an impoverished area with one of the highest crime rates still going in our city. Bed Stuy was 2nd or 3rd in the top ten murder rate for NYC in 2007. Back in 2002, I was working there when two dogs walked through a hole in the fence of their front yard and came to me. The owners were no where to be found, and the fence was in such disrepair, that I doubt the owners gave a second thought to their animals or the general public.
Luckily they were friendly, but many dogs there are not. I'm sorry to say, pit bull exploitation by thugs, druggies and gangsters is more common in Bed Stuy than most neighborhoods. So who could blame a cop for defending him/herself?
In cities, dogs should be leashed outside of special free-reign areas. I love all dogs, but owning one in a city requires respect for others, and a reality check.
ED NOTE: This comment was redirected to the correct post reference.
Posted by: LauraO | Dec 28, 2007 10:30:53 AM
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