[The Dogcatcher] I was recently walking my golden retriever Emma, after a particularly "Thursty Thursday" the night before. We were about a half a block away from my house when I came upon a parked animal-control vehicle. Thinking nothing of it, I walked by the four wheeled dog-soul snatcher and returned the friendly wave of the man sitting in the driver's seat. When he rolled down his window and began whistling at me, I realized that indeed he was not waving but summoning me to appear before him.He asked me where my dog's leash was, to which I responded, “What leash?” During this exchange, my docile Emma sat at my feet, indifferent to her proceedings.
The man (appropriately named Mr. Bumstead) explained that it was illegal to walk my dog without a leash. I explained I lived half a block away and that my dog walks so close to my legs that she rubs her stink on me. My words fell on deaf ears.
When he radioed my name into headquarters and discovered my dog wasn't registered with the state, the real fun began. He launched into a tirade I don't remember—something about baby-eating dogs terrorizing our simple way of life—I'm really not sure, as I zoned out for most of what he was saying. He caught my attention, however, when he handed over a yellow ticket that carried a $75 price tag for what he described as “dog running at large.” Emma...the inbred golden retriever, half a block from my house, heeling obediently at my side, running at large.
When I stopped in to pay my fine at Animal Services on 3900 South hoping to leave word for Bumstead where he could shove the ticket, a very pleasant woman at the counter told me that there was a citywide crackdown on unleashed dogs, and officers would be ticketing any offenders. So beware, dog owners of Salt Lake City, your brazen disregard for leash laws will go unnoticed no more. (Tom Nelson)
The man (appropriately named Mr. Bumstead) explained that it was illegal to walk my dog without a leash. I explained I lived half a block away and that my dog walks so close to my legs that she rubs her stink on me. My words fell on deaf ears.
When he radioed my name into headquarters and discovered my dog wasn't registered with the state, the real fun began. He launched into a tirade I don't remember—something about baby-eating dogs terrorizing our simple way of life—I'm really not sure, as I zoned out for most of what he was saying. He caught my attention, however, when he handed over a yellow ticket that carried a $75 price tag for what he described as “dog running at large.” Emma...the inbred golden retriever, half a block from my house, heeling obediently at my side, running at large.
When I stopped in to pay my fine at Animal Services on 3900 South hoping to leave word for Bumstead where he could shove the ticket, a very pleasant woman at the counter told me that there was a citywide crackdown on unleashed dogs, and officers would be ticketing any offenders. So beware, dog owners of Salt Lake City, your brazen disregard for leash laws will go unnoticed no more. (Tom Nelson)
