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Dunedin might beef up leash law

Pets would have no more than 6 feet of freedom under the proposal.

By SHEELA RAMAN
Published February 9, 2007

DUNEDIN - A fatal dog attack in Hammock Park has inspired the city to consider a new, tougher leash law.

Anyone who owns an animal with a backbone would have to keep it on a leash 6 feet long or shorter while on public property, if the City Commission approves an ordinance drafted by City Attorney John Hubbard.

City officials drafted the ordinance in response to a Jan. 7 incident in which an unleashed Labrador retriever attacked a 14-year-old white toy poodle named Toby at Hammock Park.

Toby, owned by Judy Maday of Dunedin, was bitten repeatedly and had to be euthanized the next day.

The Labrador was accompanied by three other large dogs, whose owner took off, leaving Maday with an invalid address. None of the four dogs or their owner has yet been found.

Maday could not be reached for comment on the proposal. Her sister said she plans to sell her Dunedin home because being there would remind her too much of Toby. Judy has been staying with her sister in Brooksville since the attack and has been too overcome with grief to read any news coverage of the incident or any condolence cards she has received, Helen Maday said.

Parks superintendent Art Finn is reviewing the ordinance and will pass it along to his boss, Leisure Services director Harry Gross, before it reaches the commission. It is expected to be voted on this month, Finn said.

He said he has no problems with the ordinance, which allows for animals to be kept in cages as an alternative to the 6-foot leash. Dogs will still be allowed to roam freely in dog parks, he said.

"I think it's a good idea," Finn said. He expects commissioners would pass the ordinance easily.

Dunedin's version of the leash law would be stricter than the one Pinellas County has in place, Finn said, because it isn't limited to specific animals. Finn said he often walks his beagle in Dunedin and sets it free in dog parks.

The penalty for violating the impending law hasn't been set yet, but Finn said offenders will likely receive a citation from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office for about $100. The city has yet to confirm penalty arrangements with the Sheriff's Office, Finn said.

Currently, Dunedin falls under the Pinellas County leash law, which requires all dogs and cats to be on a leash outdoors, but does not specify the length of the leash.

Unlike the proposed Dunedin ordinance, the county makes an exemption for dogs that follow voice commands.

These dogs can remain leashless if their owner is within sight and the dog obeys orders instantly.

Most of the residents he has spoken with have expressed support for the ordinance.

The only dissenters have been dog trainers who own voice-controlled animals, he said.

At a Jan. 13 City Commission meeting, several owners expressed fears that the ordinance would prevent them from training and exercising their dogs, who are strictly coached and would never harm anything, they said.

"I'm sure the commission will look at a compromise," said City Commissioner Deborah Kynes.

"We should try to look at some place where these highly trained dogs can run. Maybe a specific part of Hammock Park.

"On the whole, though, the leash law is a good idea," Kynes said.

She grew up on 10 acres of farmland, where there were 10 dogs running freely around the property, but she said in an urban setting such as Dunedin, dogs and people need more protection.

Commissioner Julie Scales said she does not want people or dogs to be endangered. She will support a reasonable ordinance, she said, that balances the interests of dog owners with a concern for residents' safety.

"We have to meet somewhere in between," she said.

In addition to mandating leashes or cages for pets, the proposed ordinance includes a clause that exempts guide pets, and a clause that requires owners to pick up their pets' waste.

Sheela Raman can be reached at sraman@sptimes.com or 727 445-4158.

Workshop slated

A Pinellas County workshop on hotel development densities will be held at a session beginning at 9:30 a.m. March 22 on the fifth floor of the Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St. in Clearwater.

[Last modified February 8, 2007, 22:41:31]