Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 19:37:02 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Rob Gibbs Subject: Re: Dog days at Layhill Park MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Rick and Norm, Dogs off leash is a pet peeve of mine (no pun intended). I understand your frustration. Even as a park employee I get an ear-full and ignored when I point out that dogs are required to be on leash at all times. I will forward your e-mails to our park police along with a note asking them to check in on this area. Unfortunately our park police don't take this regulation serious enough themselves so I can't promise any action but I will let them know about it. If you carry a cell phone you may want to call the park police when you see the problem and the people are still there. The park police phone number is 301-949-3010. Maybe a few calls will get their attention. Rick Sussman wrote: > In a message dated 10/28/2001 10:46:51 AM Eastern Standard Time, > marshhawk@WORLDNET.ATT.NET writes: > > > Before we birded the north end we attempted to bird the south end of the > > park. Before we got out of the parking lot we were accosted by two > > ferocious-looking and ferocious-sounding pit bulls. The owner laughingly > > assured us "Oh, they won't hurt you." Once we got out of the parking lot > > and into the south field we were accosted by more dogs as their owners > > watched and sipped coffee. When we pointed out to a legion of dog owners > > there that morning that Montgomery County and the park have leash laws we > > were met with comments such as "You people just want this whole park for > > yourself", "No, there are no leash laws", "Yes, we saw the leash sign but no > > one ever pays attention to it and neither will we!". Oh, and there was the > > guy who just stared at us with great hostility when we pointed out the leash > > law sign. > > > > Norm, > Mike Moffatt and I ran into a similar problem here a couple of weeks ago, > but we were birding the north fields. We were standing at the first field > when a dog (unattended) came running up the trail, jumped up on me(getting > mud/dirt on my pants) and then ran off down trail. Shortly the owner and his > son arrived around the corner, and I actually yelled at him to please keep > his dog on a leash. He sheepishly apologized and said they usually walk the > dog here, off-leash, and didn't expect to run into anyone, and that they > would take him another way (still off-leash). > > Now I love dogs (and have had one most of my life, still do), but after > having one killed on the highway, I would never, never again let one > off-leash, unless in a fenced dog park. There is now one of these in > Gaithersburg, with thoughts about opening others. It happened to me in > Layhill Park again yesterday morning, also in the north fields, with an older > couple walking their lab off-leash, with total disregard for the many signs > the county has placed around the park.It seems there is little we can do but > let the owners know our feelings, and get the reactions you experienced. It > really, really pisses me off to see the attitudes of the dog owners. Perhaps > a call to the humane society to let them know how prevelant this behavior is > at Layhill Park would help? Surely there must be something we can do... > > Regards, > Rick Sussman > Ashton,MD > warblerick@aol.com > > ======================================================================= > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= -- Rob Gibbs Damascus, MD robgibbs@starpower.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================