Conference 7.286::maynard

	Hi Bob - you may have done this already, but if you call
	the police station and ask to speak to the dog officer, they
	will have her return your call.  She can be very helpful.
	My dogs wander off occaisionally too.  

	I was going to suggest Canine, but I see you already posted
	it there.

	I will keep my eyes open, I live on Acton St near the police
	station.  I will also mention it to my friends and neighbors.
	

	- Linda

    
    We found her stranded downtown on the riverbank behind MCDONALD'S.
    Three little boys were taking care of her and feeding her.  She
    actually gained a pound while she was lost.
    
    I want to thank all the people who helped look for ZOE and all those
    who expressed their concern.  We really appreciate how many people
    care for animals.
    
    Bob McMurray

    Congratulations!
    
    And good for the little boys!
    
    But I wonder how she ever got there....
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    I came across this same little dog wandering around one nite in October
    when I was out for a walk. After several bloks I turned around and
    walked her back home.
                   I won't rant and rave but, Maynard has a leash law.
    It allows for a *supervised*, unrestrained dog on owners property only.
    If your dog tends to wander keep it chained or fenced.
                     I can feel my blood pressure rising...Bye

    
      Re: -last  
    
           I'm not sure about this, but I believe Maynard's leash law
    is only in effect during daylight hours and the little critters are
    free to roam at night.  
    
                       Mark
    

    Leash law - Dogs are allowed to freely deposit their waste anywhere
    they please between the hours of 8:00 PM - 6:00 AM.  I also find this
    ridiculous.  We have two dogs of our own that stay on our property and 
    do their business there.  Quite often while walking to work, I'll see
    trash bags left for pickup torn open and garbage everywhere.  Not a
    pretty sight.  Why bother having a leash law at all if it's only
    part-time?
    
    					Steve

RE: .6 (..torn trash bags)

Are you sure it's dogs and not skunks or raccoons?  Either way, if people
insist on putting their trash out at night for morning pick up they should
dump a little household ammonia in the bag.  That'll discourage any animal
from tampering with it.

Yesterday, while taking a noontime walk downtown, I watched a dog deposit
his waste on the lawn of the church across from McDonalds as his owner
stood faithfully by, holding his leash.  (This, right across from the police
station.)  You really can't blame the dogs.

    One should check the Board of Health law on when to put out trash. If
    I am correct it is against the law to put your trash out the night
    before. However like many of the town's by-laws they are not enforced.
    
    art

    Many people leave for work at 6-7 A.M., if not earlier.  Unless there
    has been some earth shattering breakthrough in science, the trash does
    not moonwalk from the garage to the sidewalk, so it must be placed there 
    at this time.  The leash law is not in effect at that hour.  In our case, 
    we put our trash in barrels.  Many people do not however.  Not pointing 
    fingers, just making an observation!
    
    As the owner of two dogs, I can say that the dogs are certainly not to 
    blame.  It is the owner's responsibility.  We've had PEOPLE picking through 
    our rubbish on the sidewalk, so one can't blame a dog when scraps of food 
    are accessible through 1 mil plastic.
    
    					Steve

(An aside.  In my neighborhood, the crows are the ones that get into the
trash and scatter it about.)

I still don't like dogs.  Your dog may be tame, but how am I supposed to
know that when it chases me down the street barking it's stupid head off?
I can't take that risk.

I bicycle to work across town, and have been chased by the nicest of dogs.  I
tell you, even the nice ones scare the daylights out of me.  When this
happens I call the police as soon as I get to my office.

This seems to work.  The dogs tend to hang around their own house, and
apparently the dog officer can usually match the dog to the description
I give.  I've never heard back from the dog officer, but I haven't had
a lot of repeat occurances either.  One time the dog was recognized by
the description and location - apparently it had a record.

Once again, household ammonia to the rescue.  Only this time, put
some in a small, pocket-size squirt gun that has a decent range
to it and watch the dogs back off real quickly after a couple of
squirts.

(Make sure the gun doesn't leak..)

>* Re: Note 197.11 (Reverse intimidation)
>*     By KIVVER::WATSON, in notefile spider::maynard

>Once again, household ammonia to the rescue.  ...
>(Make sure the gun doesn't leak..)

    and don't get them in the eyes. it's really dangerous (to humans, and I
    assume also to dogs) and they're not being obnoxious on purpose...

    					-- hs 

>    and don't get them in the eyes.

    I've found that an ammonia shot at the pavement in front of a
    dog is enough.  Being such olfactory animals, they immediately
    stop to investigate.

    -Jeff

                I'll have to dig out my copy of the leash law, but I don't
    think it allows for dogs to roam free, even at night. It should't. I
    tend to stay up late and on a regular basis this summer have had a pack
    of dogs come thru my yard after 11:00. 
                Who do they bother at this time of night? I've seen them
    defecate in my vegetable garden/sand box, urinate on the baby's
    stroller and other kids toys in the yard, scrounge my picnic table and
    vandalize my grille, and abscond with the cat bowl. They have also 
    suceeded in getting into my trash barrels. I have seen them. My yard is
    3/4 fenced, although not Fort Knox. The racoons are elderly gentlemen in
    comparison. And racoons do not run down wild life.
                In daylight I have watched dogs dig up $35 worth of bulbs(I
    sprinkled bone meal in the soil), defecate and urinate in my corner
    flower garden(while on a leash), go in my neighbors house on her kids
    coattails and tear open the trash bag on her screened in front porch,
    tear my screen door, run down my cats, steal several bags of bird suet,
    hop in my car(I was bringing in my groceries), and threaten me and my
    children,growling and bared teeth. About half of these incidents
    involved the same dog. 
                 This particular dog has been apprehended repeatedly by the
    dog officer and has been a nusiance for about five years now. He was
    sent home with a copy of the leash law stapled to his collar. He no
    longer bears a collar. He never had tags.
                 One of my neighbors was also attacked and mauled by a dog
    while walking with his kids(acroos the street from his house). The dog
    was chained, but snapped the chain. This was next door to the home
    daycare where 6 children (including my two) are cared for. The daycare
    is fenced, as is the dogs yard. He not only snapped his chain, but got
    around his fence and up on a car. My neighbors hand required surgery
    and physical therapy. He did regain full use of it.
                 I have been charged and chased by other neighbors dogs
    while walking, and have seen several "close calls" with the dogs almost
    being hit.
                 I'm not some nutty cat lady who hates dogs. I have had a
    couple of lost, and an injured dog, turn up in my yard. They were
    retrieved by their grateful owners. But I am continually amazed at 
    human ignorance and arrogance (from the nicest people) when it comes
    to dogs.
                  I will never fathom the motivations of the neighbor
    who has a large husky type dog penned in the backyard. I have never
    seen this dog playing with the kids or out for a walk. Why not just
    get a tape of a dog barking?  
    chain. 
    a leash 

    I believe the leash law allows dogs to "roam" from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
    Whether this is proper is not for me to judge, that's for sure.  
    
    It sounds like your neighborhood is full of "Cujos"!  I do know that a
    dog can sense when someone is scared, and they may take advantage of you
    for whatever reason.  It's pretty sad to hear your stories of property
    destruction.  Unfortunately, in our case it is our own pets that cause
    the damage to our property.  Between the dogs scratching the door to go
    out/come in, and the cat jumping up on the window screen to come in
    (which requires replacement about every other year) it drives me crazy.  
    I've always said, you wouldn't let your kids get away with half the stuff 
    the animals get away with.  Oh well, there is a price to pay for 
    companionship, I guess.
    
    Speaking of pets, anyone interested in a newborn dwarf rabbit in about 
    another six weeks, free to a good home?  I think we may have one that
    is still unspoken for.
    
    >              I will never fathom the motivations of the neighbor
    >who has a large husky type dog penned in the backyard. I have never
    >seen this dog playing with the kids or out for a walk. Why not just
    >get a tape of a dog barking?  
    
    Too often, this is sadly the case.
    
    					Steve