Poll: Public strongly backs tougher leash law

When the Review decided to put a question about leash laws on social media and to solicit comments, the level of response was a bit overwhelming. The question elicited nearly 100 comments and the ratio was more than 10-1 in favor of enacting a stricter leash law.

Some of those comments can be found below.

The history

Boulder City has long had an exception when it comes to laws mandating that animals be restrained in public places. The legal term for an off-leash animal in public is “at large.” In the city code, title 3, chapter 7, the definition reads, “An animal shall not be considered “at large” while under the direct supervision and control of an owner or trainer who is giving auditory and/or visual commands to such animal; provided, that such animal is obeying such commands or not in any way violating the provisions of this Chapter.”

The last time the issue was discussed was in February of 2022 when a proposal by then-mayor Kiernan McManus came up for a vote. At the time of that vote, City Attorney Brittany Walker explained the intent of the proposal.

“The purpose of the change is to clarify when the prohibition of animals at large applies, by amending the definition of ‘animal at large,’” she said. “This second sentence creates an ambiguity in the law because the ordinance requires animals to be restrained by a leash or other device or enclosure, but thereafter says that animals under the control of an owner are not at large. This sentence does not expressly create an exception to the leash requirement, but some have read this section to exempt an animal from the leash requirement where the animal is under the supervision and control of its owner.”

The proposal would have taken away that second sentence and mandate that all dogs must be on a leash in all public areas except for designated dog parks, other areas where off-leash activities are allowed or permitted by a special event permit.

Experts testify

Police Chief Tim Shea and Animal Control Supervisor Ann Innabnit both supported the proposed ordinance change and made an impassioned presentation to the council.

“We, as the animal control agency, get 500 calls a year for running at large. That’s just the animal control phone. That does not count anything that the police department does.” Innabnit said that about 10% of those calls were for at-large dogs and that some of the outcomes are haunting.

“There are a lot of things that I wish I had not seen,” she told the council. “We have had dogs torn apart down there. One particular instance, there was an off-leash, very large dog and a family with two little girls showed up and they had their 13-year-old small dog on a leash. The bigger dog saw a smaller dog and, for no apparent reason, charged it and within 30 seconds the little dog was in three pieces. Its head was severed from its body, in front of these two little girls. I cleaned that mess up and I’ve seen worse than that down there. There was a German shepherd that attacked an elderly woman and no one seems to remember all these things, but my office sees them all the time. It is a problem. We’ve had over a dozen dog attacks in the last 18 months down in Veterans’ Memorial Park.”

Shea agreed, saying that about 9% of calls coming in to the police were about at-large animals in the city’s parks. He pointed out that the Boulder City ordinance is different from any other city he could find.

“Well, let me put it this way, it is unusual,” Shea said. “I checked jurisdictions all over the country and all over the state. Every code I could go into and read, I looked specifically. I could find no place, certainly nowhere I’ve ever lived or worked between you know, San Diego and the Seattle area and here, that have ever allowed what we allow. They all have some sort of restraint requirements unless you’re in a designated place where they’re allowed off-leash.”

Experts ignored

The council, however, disregarded the advice from Shea and Innabnit and voted 3-2 against the proposed changes. They also voted 3-2 against tabling the discussion for two weeks so that staff could research possible solutions to the fact that, at the time, Boulder City did not have a designated dog park with a grassy area.

Current councilmembers Sherri Jorgensen and Matt Fox were both asked by the Review to justify their previous vote and if their stance remained unchanged since that 2022 vote. Fox did not reply to two separate email messages. Jorgensen struck a defiant note.

“I’m just going to state for the record that, in the future, please do not level at me, if we are going to have a good working relationship, a threat that not hearing anything from me is going to go down as a ‘no comment,’” she told the Review.

(Note that the second email to Jorgensen and Fox and city staff said that if no reply was received by press time it would be noted in the story that both council members had refused comment.)

“Just opinion”

Jorgensen continued by saying she was unaware of the social media post because she sees social media as “cancerous” and does not look at it. After noting that the phone calls in to council meetings during public comment regarding the leash law came from “the same one or two people”, she said that any protestations about the law or even the testimony of Shea and Innabnit were “just opinion.”

Jorgensen, who said she takes input from her constituents into account when voting, took exception when asked if she was going on record saying that she and her constituents know better than the police chief and animal control superviser. “That is not what I’m saying. That is what you are saying.”

When pressed for a yes or no answer to that question, she refused to do so, saying, “It has nothing to do with that to be quite frank with you.” She went on to note issues with the last proposal and the fact that when it came up, the city did not have a grassy dog park. A grassy dog park was opened in Veterans’ Memorial Park more than a year ago.

Innabnit addressed the “uniqueness” of Boulder City in that 2022 council meeting.

“I’ve spent some time searching ordinances in other communities and we are a rarity, not in a good way,” she said. “We pass laws to protect citizens. Citizens should have more rights than dogs. I’ve worked with dogs for 25 years professionally. I love dogs. You all know me, you know I love dogs but my dog is that dog. My dog tried to bite the chief of police. How embarrassed was I? But he’s a dog, he’s not a child in a furry little coat. People want to say my dog is perfectly trained, my dog wouldn’t do that. But given enough pain, given enough excitement, given enough to, fill in the blank, any dog can bite you.”

Social media posts

Brynn Carlisle DeLorimier

The proposed leash law vote failed in February 2022; two of the council members opposed are still in office today. Some of those opposed mention they would be comfortable revisiting the proposed ordinance once a proper dog park was built, residents were surveyed, and a $72K dog park has since opened; your paper covered its ribbon-cutting ceremony a year ago. There hasn’t been a word from them on the promised ordinance since, to my knowledge.

Kelly Anderson

I work with dogs every day and all day. They know me and I know them. But I never let my guard down because they are animals. So when they are in an environment with cars, people, and other animals, anything can happen. Leash laws prevent possible negative interactions between all. Better safe than sorry.

Bethany Caruso

We just put in a new dog park with grass. Yes, we need a leash law. If there wasn’t a grassy area for them, I would understand the need for common areas. Dog owners had a fit for a park — they have one now. Keep the animals on leashes everywhere else. Not everyone thinks your “friendly” dog is cute and wants to interact with them.

Cindi Squire

I fully support the leash law. I have had numerous encounters with ‘off-leash’ dogs that run up to you and jump up on you as their ‘greeting’. I have had muddy paws, torn clothing and have been knocked down when they jumped upon me. The owner sometimes apologizes for the dog’s behavior, however the damage has already been accomplished.

Jamie Braden

There’s a lot of amazing dogs that go to the park every morning and every night that are not on a leash and don’t bother anyone. Then there are the people that let their dogs run free and have no recall over their dog or don’t pay attention and it’s ruining it for the dogs that have a recall.

Crystal Randall

A couple of dog runs in already established parks would be great! Run free inside the fence, not out. That would work for me!!

Blake Dorianne

Unquestionably, we need a leash law. I would like to be able to take my children to a park without having people’s uncontrolled dogs running up to us, which happens the majority of the times we go out. Please implement a leash law, Boulder City. For the safety of dogs and people alike.

Charles O’Malley

Bicentennial Park is unusable with all the loose dogs there, especially in the evening. We have a dog park now but it seems like it made no difference in the amount of loose dogs in our parks.