A LEASH.
THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER ARE ALMOST HERE...
AND YOU MAY BE ONE OF THOUSANDS OF COLORADO DOG OWNERS WHO LOVE TO BRING YOUR PUP ALONG AS YOU GET OUT AND ENJOY OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE...
TONIGHT....
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A LITERAL LIFELINE FOR YOUR PET'S SAFETY...
AND ALSO HELP YOU BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND RESPONSIBLE STEWARD OF OUR PRECIOUS RECREATIONAL RESOURCES...
A LEASH.
WE'RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK IN TONIGHT'S 360 PERSPECTIVE FIRST OFF....
COLORADO LOVES DOGS...
THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION...
SAYS 65 PERCENT OF COLORADO HOUSEHOLDS HAVE SOME TYPE OF PET...
IN A SURVEY BY GROUPS INCLUDING THE ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND...
THE NO-KILL NETWORK...
AND STATISTICS FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR--- COLORADO RANKS THE SECOND BEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY TO OWN A DOG...
IT'S NOT HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHY THAT IS-- WITH SIX DOZEN NO-KILL SHELTERS...
MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND VETERINARIANS...
TOUGH ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWS...
AND OF COURSE...
SOME OF THE BEST TRAILS IN AMERICA...
--BUT MANY OF THOSE OPTIONS HAVE RULES IN PLACE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR PET-- AND OTHERS...
SO WHY ARE THOSE RULES IMPORTANT? LEASH LAWS ASSURE PHYSICAL CONTROL...
YOU CAN KEEP YOUR DOG AWAY FROM A THREAT...
WHICH COULD SAVE ITS LIFE....
-THEY STOP DOGS FROM CHASING ANIMALS...
PEOPLE...
BIKES...
AND VEHICLES...
-AND THAT PREVENTS RUNAWAYS...
KEEPING THEM FROM ENDING UP AS A STRAY IN A PET SHELTER...
-ITS THE MOST RELIABLE WAY TO BE COURTEOUS TO NEIGHBORS AND STRANGERS WHO COME ALONG...
YOU MAY KNOW YOUR DOG...
BUT THEY DON'T...
OR HOW IT WILL REACT...
AND LEASHES CAN PREVENT UNWANTED CONFRONTATIONS...
WE WENT WITH ONE OF OUR "NEWS FIVE DOGS" TO SOME LOCAL PARKS TO SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE OBEYING THE LAW..
OUR FIRST STOP WAS MONUMENT VALLEY PARK IN COLORADO SPRINGS...
WHERE RIGHT UP FRONT IS A SIGN...
AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE -- CLEARLY PRINTED...
DOGS MUST BE ON A LEASH...
WE WERE THERE FOR ONLY A FEW MINUTES WHEN OUR CAMERA CAUGHT A PAIR OF DOGS WALKING FREELY ....
THEIR OWNERS RIGHT NEXT TO THEM WITH LEASHES IN HAND....
BUT NOT ATTACHED...
WE DIDN'T SEE ANY PROBLEMS...
BUT THEY ONLY PUT THOSE LEASHES ON ONCE THEY NOTICED OUR CAMERA POINTED AT THEM...
WE'RE NOT HERE TO CALL ANYONE OUT...
BUT WE ARE BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN PUBLIC KNOW THE RULES....
BUT STILL CHOOSE TO IGNORE THEM....
YOU ALWAYS WANT TO TRY TO PUT THEM ON A HARNESS, IT JUST MAKES IT MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THEM, AND A LOT MORE CONTROL FOR YOU.
ONE WOMAN WHO WAS OBEYING THE LEASH LAWS WAS WILLING TO SPEAK WITH US...
SAM BREEDEN IS A DOG MOM OF TWO...
AND ALSO A VOLUNTEER AND STUDENT-TRAINER AT "ALL-BREED RESCUE AND TRAINING"....
SHE WAS OUT WALKING HER BUDDY "MURPHY" AT THE PARK...
SOMETHING THEY DO FREQUENTLY....
AND TOLD US WHY THE RULES ARE IMPORTANT TO HER...
I ALWAYS LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE...
JUST BECAUSE YOUR DOG IS FRIENDLY...
DOES NOT MEAN MY DOG IS FRIENDLY.
IF YOU MEET SOMEBODY ON THE STREET, WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THEM JUST RUNNING UP AND BEING LIKE 'HI HI HI! NICE TO MEET YOU!' - GIVE YOU A HUG? LIKE, IF YOU DON'T
KNOW THAT PERSON YOU'RE A LITTLE LEARY AND IT MAKES YOU NERVOUS AND YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT IN RELATION TO THE WAY IT MAKES YOUR DOG FEEL." WE THEN TRIED RED ROCKS
OPEN SPACE- ANOTHER COLORADO SPRINGS CITY PARK....
BUT ONE THAT OFFERS A LOT MORE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES LIKE MOUNTAIN BIKING, HIKING, AND ROCK CLIMBING...
AGAIN...
SIGNS RIGHT UP FRONT LAY OUT THE RULES CLEARLY...
DOGS MUST BE ON A LEASH...
EXCEPT FOR THE DESIGNATED OFF- LEASH AREAS...
LIKE THE DOG PARK THATS NOW THERE...
WE DIDN'T FIND ANYONE SKIRTING THE RULES....
BUT WE DID FIND A NEW DOG OWNER...
WHO'S HAD HER FOUR LEGGED FRIEND ONLY A FEW WEEKS...
SHE SAYS THEY'VE COME ACROSS OFF- LEASH DOGS...
BUT SHE'S NOT CONCERNED.
"MOST PEOPLE HAVE THEIR DOGS REALLY WELL TRAINED IF THEY ARE OFF LEASH, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY PROBLEMS YET."
" YEAH I DONT THINK I'VE HAD A DOG THAT'S TRIED TO BE MEAN OR OVERLY AGGRESSIVE TO HER.
IT'S BEEN GOOD." BACK IN FEBRUARY...
EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO RE-INSTATE LEASH LAWS IN REGIONAL PARKS AND TRAILS...
AND THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES IF SOMEONE FILES A COMPLAINT AGAINST YOU...
THEY START WITH FINES...
BUT CAN BE AS SEVERE AS JAIL TIME...
ANIMAL CONTROL TELLS US...
THEY TAKE LEASH LAWS TO HEART...
WE DEFINITELY DONT LIKE TO SEE WHEN ANIMALS GET LOOSE AND GET HIT BY CARS.
WE DO SEE THAT HAPPEN AND THATS WHY THE LEASH LAWS THAT WHY WE TAKE IT TOHEART SO WHAT ARE THE RULES?...
ON THE LOCAL LEVEL...
PARKS IN COLORADO SPRINGS, MANITOU,PUEBLO...
AND WOODLAND PARK ALL HAVE SIGNS UP WITH THEIR SPECIFIC RULES...
THEY'RE ALSO ONLINE ON EACH CITY'S WEBSITE...
OUTSIDE THE PARKS....
CITY ORDINANCES DEFINE UNLEASHED DOGS THAT AREN'T ON THEIR OWNER'S PROPERTY AS "AT LARGE"...
WHICH CAN BE DEEMED A NUISANCE...
AND SUBJECT TO ANIMAL CONTROL...
IN EL PASO COUNTY...
LEASH LAW VIOLATIONS IN REGIONAL PARKS COMES WITH A 50 DOLLAR FINE THE FIRST TIME...
A HUNDRED THE SECOND TIME....
AND A HUNDRED AND FIFTY THE THIRD...
REPEAT OFFENDERS COULD EVEN HAVE THEIR PET IMPOUNDED...
OR FACE JAIL TIME...
WE DIDN'T FIND ANY LOCAL CASES ON THE BOOKS OF ANYONE BEING ARRESTED FOR LEASH LAW VIOLATIONS...
PUEBLO COUNTY WILL IMPOUND LOOSE DOGS...
WHICH CAN COST YOU THIRTY DOLLARS TO GET THEM BACK...
FINES ALSO INCREASE WITH EACH VIOLATION IN A CALENDAR YEAR...
ON THE STATE LEVEL...
PARKS AND WILDLIFE REQUIRES DOGS ON A SIX-FOOT OR SHORTER LEASH AT ALL TIMES...
BUT THEY ALSO HAVE RESOURCES ON THEIR WEBSITE ON FUN THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR DOG AT SPECIFIC PARKS...
INCLUDING CAMPING, SWIMMING...
AND STATE PARKS WITH OFF-LEASH AREAS...
THEY ALSO HAVE A DOG ETIQUETTE TIPS PAGE YOU CAN CHECK OUT...
ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL...
ACCORDING TO THE PARKS SERVICE....
MOST NATIONAL PARKS DON'T ALLOW DOGS ON HIKING TRAILS...
AND THOSE THAT DO TYPICALLY REQUIRE LEASHES AND CLEANING UP AFTER YOUR PET...
BEFORE YOU TRY TO VISIT NATURAL OR HISTORIC SITE...
CAMP...
OR GO TO A BODY OF WATER...
YOU NEED TO CHECK WITH THE PARK SERVICE FOR THE SPECIFIC RULES FOR WHEREVER YOU'RE GOING...
IN NATIONAL FORESTS...
PETS ARE ALLOWED IN ALL OF THEM...
BUT MUST THEY BE KEPT ON A LEASH NO LONGER THAN 6 FEET AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN DEVELOPED RECREATION AREAS AND ON INTERPRETIVE TRAILS.
MOST OTHER AREAS WITHIN TH NATIONAL FORESTS DO NOT REQUIRE DOGS TO BE ON A LEASH, BUT THEY SHOULD BE UNDER CONTROL AT ALL TIMES.
AGAIN...
LEASH LAWS ARE IN PLACE FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY...
AND IF YOU NEED TO LEASH TRAIN YOUR DOG...
THERE ARE LOTS OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP...
WE'LL INCLUDE THAT...
AND THE NUMBER FOR ANIMAL CONTROL IF YOU NEED TO REPORT VIOLATIONS...
IN THE ONLINE VERSION OF THIS STORY...
AS ALWAYS IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA OR ISSUE THAT NEEDS A 360 PERSPECTIVE...
SHOOT AN EMAIL OVER 360 AT K