Assateague dog incident highlights importance of leash laws

Assateague Horse Attack

Two dogs were recently photographed at Assateague National Seashore charging at and attacking a wild pony.

The incident is now raising questions about Assateague Island's policies surrounding dogs.

Liz Davis, the Chief of Interpretation, said, "This is one of the biggest problems we have at Assateague, pets off a leash, and we really need pet owners to take that responsibility. These regulations are in place to protect the pet owner, to protect other visitors and to protect wildlife."

Officials are using this incident as a way to warn visitors who are gearing up for a visit with their furry friend.

Walt West, the Chief Law Enforcement Ranger, said, "It's a Class B misdemeanor and the fines for that can go all the way up to $5,000, and there can be imprisonment for up to 6 months."

Officials said it's not all about dogs on the loose, it's about responsibility and safety. Officials encourage people and their pets to remain at least 40 feet away from wild ponies, and that's without an expandable leash.

Davis said, "The minimum length is six feet so very often we see the expandable type leashes and they're really not the types of leashes they should be using here at Assateague."

West added, "Because these horses are wild and rely on their wits, they are fully capable of defending themselves and they obviously did that with these dogs they will also do this with the public."

Assateague officials said they are still investigating the incident with the two dogs and they are hoping this doesn't happen again moving forward.

West said, "For dog owners this is a wonderful place to bring your pet, but despite the wide open expanses that one finds at the National Seashore, they have to remain leashed at all times."

Assateague officials heard about this incident thanks to a few good Samaritans

They said they rely on people like the ones who took the photos to bring charges to those who violate the law.

Officials said they already have a group of volunteers on the island who help law enforcement by giving radio calls when they see something that needs to be addressed, but they said the public also does a wonderful job of keeping tabs on the horses and notifying rangers when a rule is being broken.

Assateague officials are now encouraging more people to speak up and document when they see a law being violated.

West said, "What we ask is that if people see an event like this where either dogs are attacking horses or people are approaching to close or people are feeding horses that they notify the park as soon as possible."

If you see something wrong happening on the island, officials say you should either call into the ranger station or call 911.

You can learn more about Assateague rules and laws at the following links:

https://www.nps.gov/asis/learn/management/lawsandpolicies.htm

http://www.assateagueisland.com/pets.htm

https://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/safety.htm