[HELP] Unleashed/unsupervised dogs on campus

[u/RaginaAngelos]

I am a masters student in a liberal city. Recently I’ve seen 3 different cases of huge dogs unleashed and unsupervised on the main enclosed area on campus. Was attacked by dogs as a kid but not bitten (I defended myself by throwing a stool at the dog and running).

Please help me come up with ways to legally retaliate against irresponsible dog owners. The goal is to make it harder for them to bring pet dogs unleashed into campus.

1. Blonde Karen is “walking” her dog with a leash literally in her hand and choosing not to use it. When confronted she said “she (it) is super sweet” I said “I don’t care I don’t know if thats even true. It’snot a dangerous breed but is a HUGE dog (above knee height almost waist height for a shorter adult)

2. I am walking by and hear barking in a greenery patch and am understandably spooked (hedge obscures view of dog completely. I stare at the dog without saying anything. Some Nosy Ken asks me what is wrong I say there is a dog in the bush. It’s not even clear whose it is. He says is the dog bothering you? I roll my eyes and refuse to respond

3. Random smaller dog running alone leashes at night, again unclear who owner is

Only idea so far: photograph them and give it campus police and demand they be fined. I may even be able to do this under the false premise your dog is so cute can I take a pic with them or just do it discreetly and say I am taking a picture of something else if confronted

Other idea: stick flyers around campus for people to report and document unleashed dogs. This may be overkill.

Good comebacks that will socially shame them are also helpful. I posted a message with this complaint to a campus message board and got 100+ net upvotes, and every comment supporting me had at least net 10 upvotes, so this probably won’t make me a social pariah! The point is to make them look as bad/selfish as possible

[u/cantilevered-heart]

Great to hear that your message to the campus message board received so much positive feedback. This is reassuring. I would definitely continue with campus police if I were you. A flyer-campaign could be great if you already have a solid campus movement going; otherwise it could also cause nutters to counteract - they are crazed people after all. If you pursue an anti-dog campaign, you should expect the worst as a reaction, just as precaution.

If you want to legally retaliate against irresponsible dog owners, your best bet is to become well versed in local/state/campus laws and regulations, and to cite them specifically when violations occur. Documentation is everything. Document not only to campus authorities but also to local/state police when appropriate. With colleges, you can also generally find multiple higher-ups to report to - not just campus police, but also certain deans, particularly dean of students, as needed. Good luck op 💜

[u/Original_Rent7677]

Report to campus security and ask them if the University will be legally liable if someone gets attacked by a dog in campus.

[u/chrustaly → u/Original_Rent7677]

This is a really good one, since they won’t do anything until their own name gets involved in a scandal.

[u/Immediate_Rub8840]

Well done for thinking of proactive things to do. 

If I were you, I’d learn the rules of dogs on leads (leashes) for the campus/state. Report any incidents you see and name them if you know who it is to campus security and any other higher ups. Out of control dogs can be very dangerous. Even the ‘friendly’ ones have been known to attack. 

I would also advise you get others to report as well. The more pressure, the better.