Large dogs running wild
 

The phrase "under direct control" is a commonly used phrase in leash laws. Such control is easily demonstrated and a lack of such control is readily obvious. It is not ambiguous to law enforcement.

Requiring that a well-trained dog be on a leash while being supervised on its owner's property is not reasonable. That's why it's rarely (never that I've seen) written into law.

"Talk it out" with somebody whose large dogs are already really scaring me??

Take the chance that the dogs would defend the owner if the o.p. came near him????? No way!!

That owner was obligated to do the talking, and apparently did not. I wouldn't take any chances with his scary dogs defending him if I tried getting close enough to him to talk sense to him!

:ohdear: :ohdear: :ohdear:

We're the dogs in the street or in their yard maybe within an invisible.fence??? Makes a big difference.

I suspect the "talking" was more like scolding or lecturing.

You are correct.

Many people are bitten by dogs annually.
 

I googled dog bite statistics and I was really surprised
how many people are bitten annually that require medical attention.
And a number of attacks are fatal.
I remember a friend telling me that one of their labs
attacked a very young neighbor girl, it caused
her Injury and pain, and them legal problems.

Yes, the large dogs were in the street about 40 yards from the owners house. The owner was not present, but came out of his house shortly afterwards.

Any more questions?

Read section 2.23 of the Declaration of Restrictions that you signed when you bought your house. It says that dogs must be on a leash.

Not everything is black and white....I generally like dogs and
have had a few over the years. But I don't care for aggressive dogs of any size, or loud yappy ones.
Even dogs, that their owners feel are so gentle and docile can become agitated and aggressive in certain situations.

First, I clearly spoke of laws, not deed restrictions.

Second, you do know there are different restrictions for the various villages within each district, don't you?

I have read and know what is in the Declaration of Restrictions for my village. It speaks to the number of pets allowed, responsibility for damage, etc. But it does not even address the subject of pets on a leash. It apparently leaves that matter to the Sumter County law previously cited.

VApeople, I'm with you, and I'm not at all afraid of dogs, of any kind.

But.....There is one thing that does make me afraid of a dog of any size: when they come on aggressively, and the owner does not, or cannot, make him obey. To me, that tells the dog "go ahead, intimidate all you want".

Ignore people here who want to make you out to be a suspect!

:ohdear:

Even dog lovers usually don't care for aggressive dogs.
But sometimes enthusiasm and friendliness can be mistaken for aggressiveness.
The owner of the dogs definitely shouldn't have let the dogs out without his supervision.
He was clearly in violation of the leash law, and clearly not respecting the property of his neighbors or the danger of traffic.
Unless it was a new area under construction, with no neighbor's and no traffic?

I'm with you, too. I really like dogs. I feel sorry that you were treated unkindly by some on this board who can't even think a dog (actually, an owner) could be negligent and irresponsible. It wasn't your fault and I can respect your fear.

People first, then dogs.

To say I love dogs is probably an understatement. I've even made friends with dogs who have bitten me. I also had an Old English who was never on a lead. If I took him to a town where he wasn't known, my first stop would be the police station to prove that he was totally under voice and hand controls. I only once had an issue in Camarillo where they insisted he had to be on a lead regardless of how well trained he was. Even so, I would never let him out of my house without me being present. There's no excuse for allowing a dog outside without you watching the dog if there's no fence to prevent wandering and I've seen more than one dog run right through an invisible fence. This dog owner was not being responsible and his behavior was inexcusable.

Why does it matter whether or not he lives in a new area under construction?

He lives in a new area of Osceola Hills where there are vacant lots to the side of his house and across the street. However, we and others like to walk in the evening and often go down that street.

Are we now supposed to avoid that street?