dogs at large

Hopefully this will be a constructive rant:

On the board we have stories of a GSD allowed to run loose that attacked a kid, and another about a GSD pup that was shot by a neighbor on the neighbor's property while it was chasing wildlife. In my neighborhood we had a pup shot while it was roaming free in the woods. My friend's dog, Leroy, got into poison while roaming in the woods and died. Another GSD, Kane, who she was caring for ran in front of a pick up and died enrout to the the vet -- Leroy and Kane were pups out of my first litter.

We are constantly bambarded with tragic stories about GSDs dying early because their owners do not bother to contain them and keep them safe. Breed specific legislation that affects our breed is not far off if this behavior persists as witnessed on this board as well.

I want to make a list of whitty comments, responses, actions that we can do to make people think twice about leaving their dogs run free. The problem is that I have very few ideas. If everyone can add something they can do to encourage friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to keep their companions controlled, we can all have something at the tip of our tongues when the situation arrises.

All I can come up with is this: When I catch a dog with collar and tags on my property and call the owner only to get the response: "let him go, he will come home," my response is going to be: "the dog has gotten into my champion rabbits and killed several whose combined worth is $4000, so please bring your checkbook along when you come to pick up your dog."

Persuading people, one person at a time, to contain their dogs may not be enough, but it could be life or death for that one person's dog. We need to reach people that do not frequent dog-communities, who do not go to training classes, who do not attend dog shows. The pitiful brochure that you can pick up at the auditor's office, is not enough.

If we could get enough money, we should by a commercial on primetime television, during the superbowl.

Somehow, attitudes about speuter have changed so much that people are speutering everything in site. We need a campaign for containment. Every time I hear about a loose dog attacking someone I become afraid of BSL.

Ohio is trying to pass a statewide ban on pits, no granfather clause, no exceptions -- all must be euthanized or rehomed outside of the state. With the lazy approach of GSD and other formidable breeds, we are not far behind.