Dog owners have responsibility

To the editor:
It’s tough being a dog.  Even harder still is being an “in-town” dog.  You have to stay chained up in the yard or fenced in.  There are so many wonderful things to see and chase, it must be pretty hard for the dog to resist, no matter how well-behaved they have been in the past.
This is why it is important for dog owners to do just that, keep their dogs chained up or fenced in. Owning a dog is like owning a house or car, anything that happens on that property — whether your fault or not — holds the possibility that the owner will be held liable.  This is why they have liability insurance for cars and land.  The same principle holds true to owners of dogs. They need to be aware that even if Pooch has not behaved poorly in the past, he may be in a situation in the future that holds the owner responsible.
I have recently been apart of such events.  I took advantage of a sunny Saturday morning and walked to McDonald’s to get some breakfast.  I decided to get it “to go” and started walking home, mentally planning out my day. I happened to notice a woman on a bicycle ride by with her leashed dog in tow. I thought that was a good idea. Maybe I could do that with my husband’s dog.  A few moments later, I heard the screams of a woman yelling, “NO! GET BACK!” and the yelps of dogs.  I rounded the corner, now walking very quickly, to see a loose pit bull attacking the same woman on the bicycle with her dog. The woman was in the street, public domain, and the pit bull was loose within the city limits.
I must clarify that I know people who own pit bulls and they can be very pleasant dogs.  However, no matter the breed, when a dog is in town, the law stipulates that they must be restrained or confined.  Common sense dictates that this is the case no matter where you live.  
I have had the misfortune of having family members and family pets attacked by loose dogs in the country as well.  People and pets were seriously injured and, worse still, it could have easily been prevented if the dog was more carefully supervised.
This is why it is important to remember that when the responsibility of owning a pet is undertaken, it is not only vital to nourish and house the pet, it is also important to understand that any situation the animal is involved in also becomes the owner’s responsibility.  Therefore, I am asking the people of Portland to be ever vigilant this summer in not only making sure their pooches have plenty of water in this sweltering heat, but also to keep them and others safe by making sure the dogs are properly confined and/or restrained when outside — no matter the behavior of the dog in the past.  This can prevent damages to individuals and their pets as well as headaches and possible heartache for pet owners.  
Let’s all enjoy the “Dog Days of Summer” a little more responsibly so we can spend more quality time with those dogs we love so much.
Chelsea Roush
Portland[[In-content Ad]]