Dog Etiquette

Recently we had an extremely unfortunate incident in our Village. Two dogs, one large and one small,  approached each other while being walked by their owners. Both owners used reasonable caution as they moved toward one another. The larger dog was a recent rescue, and its owner’s attempts to control it were to no avail. The dog broke free from its leash, knocked its owner down and attacked the smaller dog. Before the animals could be separated, the smaller dog was grievously injured. It had to be humanely euthanized the following day. The owner of the larger, rescue dog made all the proper notifications, and the rescue organization decided that the rescue dog would also have to be humanely euthanized because they could not re-home a dog that had killed another dog. Needless to say, both owners were devastated. In this case there were no villains, only victims.

This incident serves as a reminder of the rules for dogs in the Village. All dogs must be leashed at all times when outdoors in the Village. You must be able to control the animal. Various collars and harnesses are available based on size and level of aggression. Be aware and cautious when approaching other animals. If a fight does occur, do not attempt to break it up using only your hands. Too many people have been severely injured or killed while trying to break up such fights. There are numerous sprays, such as bear spray and pepper spray,  that can be used to separate the animals. We all love our pets, please work to protect them and yourselves.