photo by Eric P.
TLDR: “It is unlawful to allow your dog to be off leash in public areas with the exception of designated dog parks.”
“Dear PoPville,
I was walking my dog tonight (Wednesday, October 29) in Glover Park around 6:00pm. We walked through the clearing in Whitehaven Parkway (between T and W Streets NW), where there are frequently many people letting their dogs play off leash. Tonight there were perhaps a dozen people with their dogs around this hour. We have walked through there before and generally not had any issues. However, today, just as we were getting close to exiting the clearing towards W St, a woman was entering with her dog whom she immediately let off leash. This dog immediately ran up to my dog and started aggressively barking at him and chasing him. My dog started squealing and yelping, clearly absolutely terrified, and running around me trying to get away from this dog. The owner was calling after the dog but unable to stop or catch her, and the dog kept running after my dog, aggressively barking and chasing him.
It was very clear this dog was not trying to play with him, and my dog had no interest in playing with or otherwise interacting with this dog. We kept inching towards the exit but not getting far because this dog was aggressively chasing my dog. Eventually I started stomping towards this dog to get it away from mine so that we could escape. Suddenly, another man, who was one of the many people with off-leash, started yelling at me that my stomping wasn’t helping. I shouted back asking if he has any ideas and to help, but he just walked away, seemingly laughing. It seemed though that my stomping did help as the other dog backed off and we were able to escape the clearing. Luckily my dog was physically unharmed, but he was terrified.
There are at least two dog parks close to this area — the Guy Mason dog park and the Hardy dog park. It is irresponsible for dog owners to allow uncontrollable dogs to run around an area that is accessible to the public. I am lucky that neither I nor my dog was hurt, but there is no guarantee the next person will be as lucky.
This is a PSA to all dog owners in DC — it is against DC law (DC Code § 8–1808 – Prohibited Conduct), it is unlawful to allow your dog to be off leash in public areas with the exception of designated dog parks. This clearing is NOT a designated dog park. It is an uncontrolled environment where dogs are able to attack other dogs or humans who did not otherwise consent to being around unleashed dogs in a public space (ie in dog parks). Keep your uncontrollable dogs on a leash. If you want your dog to run around, follow Washington, DC law and take it to the dog park. That’s what I do with mine.”