[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.91″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.17.3″ src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vJJztP7MGt4″ \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_padding=”2px|0px|37.9062px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|18.9531px|0px” custom_margin=”10px|||” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”News Story” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|”]<\/p>\n
For most pet lovers, walking a dog is a pleasant experience. For Forest Acres resident Mary Reynolds, that daily walk turned fatal for her canine Kizzy, a chihuahua with special needs, who died in August.<\/p>\n
Three months ago, Reynolds and her husband were out walking Kizzy and their three other dogs\u00a0on leashes. A large dog of a leash charged them from behind, scaring Kizzy and Reynolds\u2019 other dogs.<\/p>\n
Reynolds scrambled to pick her dogs up and 3-pound Kizzy fell from her arms and broke her neck. Kizzy was taken to the local animal hospital, but it was presumed that she had passed away at the scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe magnitude of the loss of our little angel in this manner is indescribable,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cShe had already been through so much in her life. Despite that, she had a beautiful, happy spirit; one I will miss mightily for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the incident, Reynolds immediately filed a police report with the Forest Acres Police Department. However, the 5th Solicitor\u2019s Office chose to not file charges,\u00a0because the unleashed dog did not bite Kizzy, and only scared her.<\/p>\n
The penalty for having a dog off of a leash\u00a0is a misdemeanor and offenders can be fined $50 for the first offense, and not more than $100 for each subsequent offense.<\/p>\n
Richland County Animal Control Manager James Hill is trying to educate the public about the county’s updated leash law.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recently changed the law to include a dog being at large if the owner was not outside with it. It used to be as long as the animal was on its own property it would be considered not at large, but now, it\u2019s considered at large,\u201d said Hill.<\/p>\n
Ignoring the leash law, or any other law regarding pet ownership, is an issue that Hill says creates a burden for Animal Control.<\/p>\n
“It creates a situation where we have to utilize resources in order to address it,” he said.<\/p>\n
Kizzy\u2019s incident is not the only kind of situation that can be created if a dog is unleashed. An animal can get hit by a car, and other animals can attack your animal if one or the other is not restrained by a leash.<\/p>\n
West Columbia rescue center PETSinc.\u2019s outreach coordinator Cassidy Olson believes using a leash is an important preventative measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cA leash prevents a lot of accidents that are out of our control from happening and it just gives us that power to keep them close to us and control what happens around them,\u201d said Olson.<\/p>\n
Many people believe that even though their dog is friendly that it could get along with other dogs instantaneously. Tom Kelly, dog trainer and owner of Contented Services, says it doesn\u2019t matter what you think.<\/p>\n
“It doesn\u2019t matter if the dog I have on a leash isn\u2019t friendly, or just isn\u2019t comfortable with strange dogs running up,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cI think this is the part most people believe wrongly, that every dog should get along with every dog instantly, and it\u2019s the craziest thing I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kelly says there are alternatives for those who want somewhere to let their dogs roam free.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you think you want to have opportunities for your dog to be off leash, join an off leash dog park,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a bunch here in town. Or, find places where you\u2019re not going to put other people or other dogs at risk because you\u2019re trying to have your dog off leash.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hill, Kelly, and Olson all agree that the safest thing to do is keep your dog on a leash, and that following the leash law can prevent deaths like Kizzy\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe leash laws are put in place, not just for you, the public, but it\u2019s for the animal as well,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n
If you enjoy walking your dog, keep them and yourself safe by attaching their collar to a leash. It just might save a life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would ask that people who care about leash laws to please call law enforcement when they see violations,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cWe can\u2019t get our baby back, but maybe they can prevent the pain we have endured from happening to another family.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kizzy, Mary Reynolds’ dog with special needs, passed away in Aug. 2018 after being scared by an off-leash dog.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 2″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/LeashLawPhoto3.jpg”]<\/p>\n
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Candy is one of the dogs up for adoption at PETSinc. Attaching a leash to your dog can save lives like hers.<\/p>\n
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Unleashed dogs pose a risk to those who obey local ordinances and keep their pets under control and leashed when they walk. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":14721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"
For most, walking a dog is a pleasant experience. For Forest Acres resident Mary Reynolds, walking her dog was fatal. Her dog with special needs, Kizzy, passed away in Aug. 2018.<\/p>
Two months ago, Reynolds and her husband were out walking Kizzy and their other dogs on leashes in the community. A large dog charged them from behind, scaring Kizzy and Reynolds\u2019 other dogs. Reynolds scrambled to pick her dogs up and 3-pound Kizzy fell from her arms, and broke her neck. Kizzy was taken to the local animal hospital, but it was presumed that she had passed away at the scene.<\/p>
\u201cThe magnitude of the loss of our little angel in this manner is indescribable,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cShe had already been through so much in her life. Despite that, she had a beautiful, happy spirit; one I will miss mightily for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>
After the incident, Reynolds immediately filed a police report with the Forest Acres Police Department; however, the Solicitor\u2019s Office chose to not file charges, citing that the unleashed dog did not bite Kizzy, and only scared her.<\/p>
The usual penalty for having a dog at large, or off of a leash, on your own property or anyone else\u2019s if convicted is a misdemeanor and you could be fined $50 for your first offense, and not more than $100 for each subsequent offense.<\/p>
To prevent situations like this one, Richland County Animal Control manager James Hill thinks folks should make sure they know the updated leash law.<\/p>
\u201cWe recently changed the law to include a dog being at large if the owner was not outside with it. It used to be as long as the animal was on its own property it would be considered not at large, but now, it\u2019s considered at large,\u201d said Hill.<\/p>
Ignoring the leash law is an issue that Hill says creates a burden for Animal Control.<\/p>
\u201cNot just with leash laws, but with any type of law, because what that does is it creates a situation where we have to utilize resources in order to address it,\u201d said Hill.<\/p>
Kizzy\u2019s incident is not the only kind of situation that can be created if a dog is unleashed. An animal can get hit by a car, and other animals can attack your animal if one or the other is not restrained by a leash.<\/p>
West Columbia rescue center PETSinc.\u2019s outreach coordinator Cassidy Olson believes using a leash is an important preventative measure.<\/p>
\u201cA leash prevents a lot of accidents that are out of our control from happening and it just gives us that power to keep them close to us and control what happens around them,\u201d said Olson.<\/p>
Many people believe that even though their dog is friendly that it could get along with other dogs instantaneously. Tom Kelly, dog trainer and owner of Contented Services, says it doesn\u2019t matter what you think.<\/p>
\u201cPeople who yell from a distance, \u2018My dog is friendly!\u2019 It doesn\u2019t matter if the dog I have on a leash isn\u2019t friendly, or just isn\u2019t comfortable with strange dogs running up,\u201d said Kelly. \u201cI think this is the part most people believe wrongly, that every dog should get along with every dog instantly, and it\u2019s the craziest thing I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d<\/p>
Kelly says there are alternatives for those who want somewhere to let their dogs roam free.<\/p>
\u201cIf you think you want to have opportunities for your dog to be off leash, join an off leash dog park,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got a bunch here in town. Or, find places where you\u2019re not going to put other people or other dogs at risk because you\u2019re trying to have your dog off leash.\u201d<\/p>
Hill, Kelly, and Olson all agree that the safest thing to do is keep your dog on a leash, and that following the leash law can prevent deaths like Kizzy\u2019s.<\/p>
\u201cThe leash laws are put in place, not just for you, the public, but it\u2019s for the animal as well,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>
If you enjoy walking your dog, keep them and yourself safe by attaching their collar to a leash. It just might save a life.<\/p>
\u201cI would ask that people who care about leash laws to please call law enforcement when they see violations,\u201d said Reynolds. \u201cWe can\u2019t get our baby back, but maybe they can prevent the pain we have endured from happening to another family.\u201d<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14485"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/121"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14485"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14888,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14485\/revisions\/14888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}