Dog Want to Fly!

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly…

Do you remember that old popular song? If dogs have dream, they would like to fly in air. Free and happy time for your dog is very important. Today, I saw a very nice article in the web and hope to share this with you.

A new group in town — Darien Dog Owners Group, or DDog — has formed in response to a proposed ordinance that would prohibit Darien dog owners from walking dogs off leash in the town’s public places.

DDog was founded on the premise that dog owners, who consider themselves to be responsible, would like to utilize open areas in Darien as places to walk and exercise their dogs.

“We wanted to be sure that it was clear we are only advocating responsible pet ownership,” said Shelley Carder, a dog owner and Darien resident. “We are parents and members of this community who care about each other and want to minimize problems, not just a bunch of wacky dog lovers. I love my children as much as my dogs and would hate to hear of any problem resulting from negligent or irresponsible dog ownership.”

There is no local ordinance in Darien that prevents dog owners from walking a dog off leash anywhere in the town. While a general state statute is in place, it is up to the individual town to create leash ordinances.

“We are a group of independent dog owners; we’re not fighting for the right for dogs to be off leash,” Darien dog owner Donna Melz said. “We’re fighting for the right to choose whether our dogs are off leash.”

The ordinance was originally scheduled for discussion at a May RTM meeting, but was taken off the agenda as the RTM Rules Committee members did not feel they had adequate time to review the ordinance before a vote. Now the ordinance is scheduled to be revisited in September.

“We thought that it’s never a good idea to write legislation on the fly,” RTM Moderator Karen Armour said. “The floor of the RTM is not the place to do it. We thought it would be better to…sit down with everyone in the same room and come up with the elements should be that need to be in there, along with the original draft.”

Passing this ordinance will fall under the purview of the RTM, not the Board of Selectmen, according to First Selectwoman Evonne Klein.

According to DDog, Darien has the lowest amount of dog bites per capita of any neighboring town, including Wilton, New Canaan, Westport, Norwalk and Stamford. The group cites the U.S. Census Bureau and Connecticut State Animal Control for the numbers.

The group states that 90 percent of dog bites occur on private property or from a dog escaping from private property.

The members of DDog often congregate at parks, such as Cherry Lawn Park, in the morning to walk and exercise their dogs.

“What I really like about Cherry Lawn is that there’s a really good group of well-behaved dogs,” Melz said. “Because there are no fences, people can’t go there if their dogs aren’t under control. People will say they won’t bring their dog because they can’t control them.

“We have a nice variety of women in their 20s, women in their 80s and a wide cross-section of people we normally don’t run into except for walking our dogs in the morning. Some people who are much older come there for the companionship. It’s a nice community for us and a great community for the dogs.”

According to Animal Control Officer Chip Stahl, there have been more than 38 reported dog bites in four years.

“I’d be a lot happier if it was less than that. Eighty or 90 percent of the people that get bit are children,” Stahl said.

There are eight different courses of action that police officers and animal control can follow after a dog bite: advisory, written warning, infraction, summons, arrest, quarantine on property or at a veterinarian, restraining order or a combination of any of the above.

Stahl said that an ordinance is needed to protect the safety of both dogs and owners. Some dogs have run into the street and been hit by cars because they were off leash, he said. Other incidents of bites have badly scared children and led to complaints.

“We really just want to have the right to choose whether or not our dogs can be off-leash,” Melz said. “Everyone has to take responsibility. I know there’s been comments made about dogs must be on leash if they’re walking down the road. That’s the owner’s responsibility. I think people should have the choice about what they’re going to do and everyone has to be responsible for their dogs.”

DDog advocates for better enforcement of existing laws and education for dog owners.

There is currently a $92 fine associated with having a dog on or off a leash at any beach in Darien. This rule is in effect year-round at all beaches.

Exceptions to the proposed ordinance, and to the rule preventing dogs on beaches, include police dogs, service dogs and seeing-eye dogs.

“The whole reason for the new ordinance was that the state law was unenforceable,” said Pam Zangrillo, a member of DDog. “Isn’t human behavior that’s classified disorderly conduct require an officer to make a judgment? It’s not necessarily black or white. To me the same thing applies to making the judgment call as to when the dog is not under the owner’s control. I think we need to give our officers and animal control officers clear guidelines.”

DDog hopes to meet with and work with the Darien Police Department in the future.

“We advocate a considerate approach that respects the legitimate concerns of all persons, while preserving our rightful access to the public spaces, which currently exist in Darien,” Carder said. “We are committed to enriching the quality of our community through responsible pet ownership, education, as well as open and respectful communication between all citizens in our community.”

Give your dog more time and freedom of leash!