Picture Rocks residents are trying to keep their community from going to the dogs.
Stray dogs have become more threatening in the last few years, residents say.
Almost a year ago, Albert Lannon included a brief writeup in the November 2008 community newsletter he edits, reminding his neighbors to obey leash laws and recounting multiple instances of unpleasant dog encounters in the area.
At the time, he suggested the community get the Pima Animal Care Center to patrol "hot" areas for roving animals.
Nothing really came of that, but the problem persisted to where the community group that publishes the newsletter, Citizens for Picture Rocks, had a guest speaker from Pima Animal Care at its August meeting.
It's time for people to pay attention, Citizens for Picture Rocks treasurer Keith Winans said in an interview.
People are also reading…
"A lot of folks out here, for some reason in the middle of the night, they'll open up and let their dogs roam the neighborhoods and then come back the next day of their free will," he said.
If you happen to see the owners the next day and tell them you saw their dog, most of the time they say they know, Winans said.
"Until they get a warning from animal control, they really don't have a clue that it's illegal," he said.
But the issue is more than the inconvenience of having your trash torn apart by a stray or finding dog excrement in your yard, although those things happen, Winans said.
The stray dogs also can be threatening, he said.
Winans and his wife were attacked by a pit bull about a month ago in front of the Picture Rocks Fire station, he said.
The dog clamped onto one of the Winans' two dogs and would not let go. Firefighters ran outside to help them.
"If the fire department had not have been there, I don't know what would have happened. Because I was beating that dog in the head with everything I had, and it wouldn't let go of my dog," he said.
Pima Animal Care Center's public service supervisor, Jayne Cundy, visited the community meeting in August to answer questions and offer advice.
Many of the questions had to do with dangerous dogs, she said in an interview.
"They have a right to be able to walk down the street safely," she said of the Picture Rocks residents. "A couple people have had some bad experiences."
Some people asked whether they should use guns to defend themselves, but she deferred to the local police on that issue.
"If they felt they needed to use a firearm, they really should contact their local deputy and find out about limits within residential areas," she said.
The best thing to do for a person who feels immediately threatened is to call 911, she said.
Generally, the local police — which have more people on patrol — will respond faster, and the animal control people can assist when they get there, she said.
Pima Animal Control has 26 enforcement officers, including four supervisors who go into the field occasionally, Cundy said.
The biggest thing people can do to minimize the number of incidents — aside from obeying leash laws — is report potential problems before they become actual problems, Cundy said.
It's better to put it on record that a dog is potentially troublesome than to wait for that dog to attack someone or get run over, she said.
Winans said a neighbor's dog was recently shot and killed when it left the neighbor's yard.
"That's the last thing you want to do," he said, "is have your dog get shot."
To report a problem
Call Pima Animal Care Center at 243-5900 and push option 3 for dispatch. If you have a camera or camera phone with you, take a picture of the offending animal for use as evidence later.
Leash laws
• Your dog must be kept in an enclosed yard when on your property.
• Tie-outs are prohibited.
• Your dog cannot be off your property unless restrained by a leash.
• Having a "dog at large" is a Class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by $100 to $500 in fines.
Source: Pima Animal Care Center
