Loose dogs are an ongoing problem in local parks and on the trails. Some dog owners feel that they’ve got a right to ignore the rules. On a walk yesterday along Buttermilk Trail and then the fire road next to the river I counted 5 unleashed dogs. I would estimate that on most days the number of unleashed dogs exceed the number of leashed dogs. Earlier this year I was charged by a large dog. I’m confident that the dog’s owner screaming at him to stop was not as effective as if that same dog had been leashed. Fortunately, the dog decided that I was not a threat and stopped short of biting me.

Whether these signs will prevent incidents similar to the above is open to debate but they certainly can’t hurt.

The timing of the signs coincides with recent dog attacks near Forest Hill Park. Two dogs were believed to be involved in three separate attacks. These two dogs were captured by RACC and it is thought they were abandoned by their owners.