Austin, Texas has a DOG problem (Letter I wrote and sent)
Dear Austin City Council Members,
Hello and well regards,
Yesterday afternoon during a simple bicycle pedal exercise ride, I was physically chased by an unleashed Pitbull dog in ZILKER PARK. Then directly after recovering from almost being mauled by an unleashed pit-bull in Zilker Park, I attempted to buy a Gatorade at a nearby Barton Springs Road Market, but that didn't go well either, as an interior Market commercial customer had a massive mixed breed dog trolling through the diminutive shopping isles. Then this morning, at a Coffee shop on SoCo, there was only 1 entry way in and out, and there was another large, although more docile mixed breed dog. All of this has occurred in less than 24 hours.
What's the point? The City of Austin's dog friendliness and citizen enabling of irresponsible dog owners has gotten out of control.
Newsflash! Not everybody like dogs, being everywhere all the time. especially within an urban, intimate, cramped city setting such as Austin, Texas.
Here are my solution suggestions:
- Make ZILKER PARK a leashed dog park.
- Better yet, make the entire City a Dog Leash requirement city.
- Enforce existing Austin, Texas leash laws.
- Have the Austin City Code Enforcement, enforce laws in regards to health with dogs in commercial space, especially eating and drinking establishments.
I'll leave yall with this what if......
What if my wife and 11 month old baby daughter had decided to simply visit and stroll ZILKER PARK, and an unleashed pit bull dog or aggressive mixed use breed dog tried to attack my wife, baby and family.
Austin's DOG problem has gotten bad and appears to be getting worse. Now is the time for action and attempted solutions.
Thanks!
George Vance McGee
---ATX local born Unicorn and citizen
---a Family man and new Dad.
---Somebody who cares about Austin, Texas being it's best most sanitary, safe and welcoming to society self.
I totally agree! Dogs in Pease Park, not on a leash, near the picnic area, there is an off leash area in Pease, but these dog owners just use the entire park! The fine for an unleashed dog is $500.00 in the city, maybe we can get a volunteer force to make that happen! My small terrier, on a leash, always, we’re attack twice in the last three years by a pit bull mix, and a German shepherd. People just strolling in my new or hood have dogs just wandering next to them.
ReplyDeleteAustin is too large now for this, and yes small children have been knock down hand hurt by”friendly” off leash dogs, and many dogs in west austin have been attacked while on leash. Maybe the New York Law? In city parks , dogs can be off leash from 6am to 9am, and 9pm to 1am. Leashes on all dogs from 9 am to 9pm. Let be responsible animal owners!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with Austin's DOG PROBLEMS in Central Austin's PEASE PARK. Austin's laisse faire attitude towards dogs is a problem. Not everyone enjoys dogs everywhere all the time, especially large mixed and dangerous breed dogs. Maybe it'll take some dog / human tragedy and the City of Austin getting sued, for them to tighten up their DOG policies. These are PUBLIC and PRIVATE spaces where the dog population is growing and often unchecked. My opinion is owners have to absolutely have them on a leash. Why should everyday citizens and their families safety be subjected to a lousy owner's loose & potentially dangerous dog? Can Dogs be likeable sometimes, = Yes. But NOT all of them. ---GVM
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