Roaming Dog

I took Matilda for a walk this morning. It was raining. As we approached the park, I saw a dog roaming without an owner. Normally, I would go in the opposite direction because Matilda loses her mind around other dogs, but this morning I walked toward the dog. A few days ago, I saw a poster about a missing Jack Russell Terrier that has a medical condition and needs to be found so it can get its medicine. This dog was a Jack Russell. As I got closer, her owner appeared. She said that since it was raining, she just let the dog out of the car to let her do her business. We talked about the missing dog and how heartbreaking it would be to lose our dogs. Her dog's name was Chloe. Chloe was 14 years old and either was hard of hearing or just not as obedient as she used to be.

Here's the rant: If losing your dog would be heartbreaking to you, don't let her roam around in a public, ungated area without a leash! Letting the dog roam not only increases the possibility of losing your dog, it is also against the law. I would love to let Matilda run free. She would enjoy it so much. But to do so isn't safe for her or the public, and selfishly, it's not in my self interest.

Keep your dog on a leash!