Dog Attacks & Local Leash Laws

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 Summer is in full swing which means more pets are being taken out on walks.
 
Authorities say it’s important to keep your pets on leashes because you never know when your pet or another pet can get out of control.
 
Lucy is a Norwegian Elkhound mix.

She was recently attacked this weekend by two bigger dogs in a Moorhead neighborhood.
Authorities say it’s incidents like these that stress the importance of keeping your pets on leashes.
 
Angela Rohlfing is with her dog Tucker at one of Fargo’s dog parks.
She says she’s been in incidents where her dog has been attacked by other dogs.
 
“It is scary cause I’m just kind of trying to figure out how I would prevent it, how I would stop it and whether I’m going to have to take my dog to the vet or not,” said Rohlfing of Fargo.
 
“Police say it’s very important to keep your pets on leashes, not just for the safety of other pets, but for the safety of other people as well.”
 
There is a price some people pay for not having their dogs on a leash and having them attack someone else.
 
“It’s a misdemeanor offense. It can be anywhere from $700 and/or 90 days in jail,” said Moorhead Police Department Sgt. Steve Larsen.
 
Laws are very similar in Fargo and in Moorhead.
Both cities require leashes and you can be cited for not having a pet on a leash.
 
“I think that anybody that’s out walking their dog in public should have the dog on a leash whether it’s well behaved or not,” said Jeff Watne of West Fargo.
 
It’s an opinion many share here in the Fargo–Moorhead area.

Dogs can be let off their leashes at Fargo dog parks but owners are legally responsible for their dogs and any injuries caused by them.