Do you believe dogs that live in the country should have leash/fence laws?

Question

Over here the Humane Society and Animal Control doesn't do a d*mn thing about dogs who live out in the country. Every day, I see at least one dead dog on the road who has been hit by a car. It is really sad, because some of these people still continue to let their dogs roam around outside even after such a loss. We have a neighbor who lets her dogs run loose, and she's lost quite a few to passing cars, and yet she STILL continues to let them run around outside. But there are no laws in the country that require a dog to be on leash or fenced.

Answer 1

I live in the country, and we do not have any animal control out here.
I wish our town government would do something about "running dogs" I too have a neighbor who lets her dogs run all day and night, and they live right next to a beef farmer. The farmer is always complaining to her about her dogs killing the baby calfs, and she always tells him that her dogs do not leave the property. Last month they lost one of their dogs, someone ran over the dog on the road, so what did she do she went and bought another one. That is so frustrating!!!!!
People just do not care about animals. This is one subject I wish would be talked about when we have local elections to figure out how to fix these issues.
Good Question

Answer 2

I know it sucks... but a law against it would do nothing.. there needs to be a law against irresponsible people owning dogs. My friend and family live in the country not far from one another, they have both had many dogs over the years, never leashed or fenced and not one of them has ever died on the road or even got hit by a car.. however right down the road people who live there loat dog after dog on the road and just kept getting more dogs. They never bothered to train them to stay on the property and didnt care I guess if they got killed.. sad but true, even if there was a leash law whos going to police it? most of these places are quite far out of town, and irresponsible people are irresponsible whether there are laws or not.... the poor dogs are the ones to pay for it but we as a society should stand up and say NO! if we didnt let those kind of people get any dogs the problem would be solved

Answer 3

I'm not sure where you're at but we have laws and they are not enforced and people just let their dogs run. Obviously they don't care about them as they do get hit on a regular basis. People in the country drive very fast and don't often slow down for an animal in the road.
It can also be a danger for people driving as well because a large dog can cause damage to a car and a person swerving to avoid hitting a dog may cause an accident.

Answer 4

There should be laws anywhere about that kind of stuff. I totally agree. Even if people live in the country there will still be others around then that they need to be considerate of. It's nice that she lets her dogs run around outside, thats probably the purpose she lives in the country, however she should definately keep a better eye out on them. I think as long as the dogs arent physcially hurting people the city unfortunatly wont do anything. Try the humane society?

Answer 5

I spent four years in the country as a child and we had two dogs that roamed freely. We were not near a highway or a road where anyone travelled but us.
I'd rather see common sense be used by people that live near highways and I have seen country dogs on the roadside where they had access to cross a country road where high speed traffic came through even though not frequently. You are right that there is a danger.
I wouldn't like to see laws of restraint for in the country though, because then people who take their dogs hunting or who are with their dogs when the dogs are roaming would no longer have that liberty. Working dogs like cattle dogs would have to be exempted or they too would no longer be able to work.
That would be wrong.
Most people that have working dogs are good to their animal companions and the dogs like their work.
For some, when the dogs aren't working but they live in the country, I can imagine that they enjoy the freedom of having their dog walk or romp around them freely where there is not a highway or publically travelled road endangering the dog.

Answer 6

I think any dog that isn't under direct verbal command and in sight of the owner should be either tied or fenced. It's fine to let them run if you can see them and they will come back if you call them. But I don't feel it's right to just let the dog out the door and have no clue where it's going.

Now my one exception to that rule was when we went camping, we had a gold claim 60 miles off any pavement in the middle of the state in Alaska. There I let my dog run, he would let us know if Grizz, black bear or Moose were in the area. I was able to call him off such animals, and had to more than once. The fastest moving thing on wheels out there were 4 wheelers and you couldn't go that fast on them because it was a very rough trail. So, there are times when I'd consider it OK, but I'm talking the middle of no where.

Answer 7

I think that all dogs no matter where they live should be leashed or fenced because I have seen way to many dogs hit on the roads where I live. In fact just a few weeks ago a dog ran out in front of my husband out of nowhere and he hit it. Had it been leashed or fenced that never would have happened.

Answer 8

I would think that state laws would apply even to dogs that live outside city limits.

I live on a 36+ acre piece of land and I turn my three dogs out all the time. However, if I see them going past our fence, I immediately scold them and call them back home. If I leave and they follow up the driveway, I will even throw rocks at them before they come past the fence. (Not that I could ever hit them with one. I don't throw that well. But it lets them know that I am not pleased with them following me past the gate.)

The problem, as I see it, is not whether or not they should be leashed or fenced, it is a problem of responsible dog ownership and who outside of a city limit would enforce responsible ownership. Perhaps a complaint to the county sheriff's office might help, or ASPCA.

Answer 9

I agree with you. Ilive in a rural area and our county does have a leash law but animal control is so underfunded and understaffed that they can do very little about enforcement. My MIL had her dog attacked by a loose dog while she was walking her dog on a leash. A neighbor's loose dog - loose all the time - was killed by a car. Dogs running loose have killed livestock.

People need to have more responsibility and animal control needs more money and staff to do their job.

Answer 10

i live on a big country farm our dogs have a shock fence so if they get past that line they want to come back there shouldnt be a law by no means but ppl in a big city should either stay with their dogs all of the time or give them to a shelter