As the weather improves and days become longer and nicer, there is an increase in the number of people walking their dogs and going to the various parks Oak Park has to offer. What has also increased is the number of people who have their dogs off leash.
This is a safety hazard for the dogs themselves and the other humans and dogs they encounter. There seems to be an arrogance on the part of these dog owners that they can control their dogs in any situation. Maybe they can. However, they can’t control the people and dogs their pet interacts with.
Most recently I saw a couple walking down Pleasant for over six blocks and their off-leash dog traversed from the north side of Pleasant to the south side and back, without the owners. I dread thinking what would have happened if a distracted driver unexpectedly came upon the dog while it was crossing the street.
There are too many times to count where I have walked through Mills Park, Austin Gardens and Taylor Park in the early morning where off-leash dogs have attacked me or my dog. While the owners are usually apologetic, they could have avoided the entire encounter by simply having their dog on a leash.
Oak Park offers two fantastic dog parks available for people who want to allow their dogs to be off leash. I would suggest they try those locations rather than creating an unsafe environment for others in public locations. If not, just keep the dogs on a leash.
Mark Schlosser
30-year Oak Park resident
37-year responsible dog owner