Julianne Tiegs says she was attacked on the Haul Road Trail by unleashed dogs.
“As soon as we passed the two dogs, large dogs came running out after us aggressively,” she said. “They were snapping their jaws, and they had the curled lips, it was scary.”
Tiegs says it happened earlier this month when she was with her service dog.
She isn’t alone, Bend Park and Rec (BPRD) says it receives many reports of unleashed dogs on its trails.
“We don’t have any portions of our trails within the city limits that are allowed for off leash dogs,” said Julie Brown, community engagement director, BPRD. “And these rules are really important because it’s for the safety of everyone.”
Park stewards patrol areas with high unleashing activity. BPRD also issues exclusions to dog owners who repeatedly break the rules.
“We much prefer it when people will just voluntarily comply and really understand the reasoning behind why the leash laws are the way that they are,” Brown said.
BPRD says if you are attacked or threatened, report it.
“If you had an encounter with an off-leash dog, it’s information that’s helpful for us to know,” she said. “What some of the areas are where maybe we’re having more of these types of issues.”
BPRD says hot spots for reports include the Deschutes River Trail and Shevlin Park.
“People don’t seem to care. They don’t think that the rules apply to them,” Tiegs said. “It’s very frustrating, I think as a community we all need to come together and not create these conflicts that are completely unnecessary.”
You can report off-leash dogs to BPRD by calling its main phone line or through the district’s email. Click here for more information.
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