Dogs Laws and What Can Be Done?!

[Batbike]

So no, I just don't feel good about this... and I can't feel good about irresponsible dog owners, either. I send my best wishes to the family who just lost their furbaby, because no one knew him/her the way they knew him/her.

I am sorry about your personal pet loss and am glad that there are animal lovers, like you, that are passionate about pets. The world needs them!!!

Please understand, it is NOT easy to declare a dog dangerous -- the VA Dangerous Dog Statue is very complex, code 3.1-796.93:1. For your own information, you may want to read it. So, no, this was not a solution to a single incident and no this is not the family upset that they "lost their furbaby". I know, for a FACT, that the family is relieved about the dog, not upset.

There is SO MUCH MORE to the details of this story -- the family, the dog, children, cyclists, vets, law enforcement, etc. It has taken me days to get ALL the details and unfortunately it only takes minutes to share bits and pieces. I have not shared everything, so maybe I should not have shared at all. However, dogs are part of the cycling culture, and it is good to talk about them and how we can protect ourselves, our equipment, and the animals.

Am I happy the dog was killed? No, I do not want to see any animal destroyed; and, yes, I do not want to see any person hurt because an animal is sick and uncontrolled and cannot function in society without hurting something or someone -- that is the main point of the dangerous dog statue. It is NOT a fine line between dangerous dog and cute furbaby -- the line is VERY thick and well padded to protect dogs that are not dangerous. VA is very empathetic to dog owners with the "ONE FREE BITE dog law".

Please continue fighting for furry friends; please remember some furry friends need protection from themslves and others and that is why there are laws.

[indysteel]

One comment that I would add to the discussion is that a leash law, in itself, will not necessarily provide compensation for a cyclist injured by a dog allowed to run loose. If the law only "criminalizes" the behavior through the imposition of a fine, then you'd still be stuck pursuing homeowner's insurance or suing in small claims court to recover for any property damage or personal injury. A criminal law at the end of the day only serves to encourage people to restrain their dogs. And if it's not enforced or enforced only when someone is already hurt, it really does very little good.

Homeowners really kill me. I got chased my a little dog the other day who stopped me dead in my tracks. He wouldn't back off at all. His owner ran from his hard and chased him away from me. I told the guy that other cyclists would be coming through since it was a club ride. He admits that he'd already "seen a bunch." Presumably, the dog chased after those cyclists too so then WTF? WHY HAVEN'T YOU TIED YOUR DOG UP THEN? He eventually had to take his belt off his pants and "whip" the dog back into the yard.

Sigh....