Photo by Joanne Daniels of a dogwalker on 94th street (this dogwalker is not involved in any of the complaints below).
We have received several emails recently involving Upper West Side dogs, relaying information and concerns about dog attacks, raising questions about dog-walkers, and expressing puzzlement about dogs in supermarkets.
We have edited them a bit and present them here for your edification. If you can answer any of the questions these people raise, or would like to commiserate, do so in the comments.
From Jan. 15, 2015
Sadly our dog CHICO was attacked in Central Park (93rd Street entrance behind the tennis courts) in the Central Park yesterday Wednesday January 14th.
The owner had 2 dogs a light colored pit bull and black haired-German Shepherd mix. It was before 9 am so it was off-the-leash time but what happened is that the 2 dogs aggressively ran after our dog Chico, a 25 # mini-schnauzer and attacked him. It would take only seconds to a minute for him to have died!
He survived with bites on his neck. And at the vet had to go under to get a drainage filter put into his neck to prevent infection.
Why I am writing to you is to spread the word of the best thing to do…….
I was advised by a fellow dog owner to ‘file a report” as there was another attack by ‘2 dogs’ two weeks ago and we are not sure if it is the same owner.
I called the 100th St Precinct [the 24th precinct] and talked to a lovely Officer Frankel. She is the Animal Liaison for that precinct. Here is what she told me. Filing a report would not really help much. She would take our info and forward to the Central Park Precinct. But with no name and no hard core description nothing can be done.
What she recommends is:
IF another attack happens call her division 212-678-1829 as soon as it happens. If the guy/person flees the scene get as much as a description as possible. They can perhaps find the person and give them a summons. Enough harassment to the guy/person will hopefully prevent him from coming back to our park!
From Dec. 31, 2014
There is a young, male, unneutered brown and white pit bull who is extremely aggressive and dangerous. He almost tore the ear off a large black and white dog, who has been coming to the dog run for years. The pit’s owner, a youngish, average looking white man, refused to give his name after his dog lacerated the other dog’s ear. This dog is dangerous and should not be in a dog run with other dogs. What do we do about this?
From Dec. 30, 2014
Twenty dogs were tied up on Christmas day at the entrance to Central Park at 72nd and CPW (there’s a little twine hut thing on the south side of the entrance that leads to a downhill path to get into the park) one group was tied on the right and one group was tied on the left of the twig hut thing.
The black schnauzer’s collar had her name/number so I actually called the owner to make sure she knew her dog was being walked with that many dogs and her response was: “Yes, they’re pack animals.” Plus, she said that they get broken down into 2 or 3 smaller groups. Even so — TEN DOGS at a time under the control of one person?!?
Do you think all the owners know how many other dogs their dog is being walked with at once? Yet, I think some of her clients are fiercely loyal, for some strange reason.
The dog walker walks in front of all the dogs and doesn’t even notice if any of them is hurt or limping, etc. She actually TEXTS while walking that many dogs!
From Dec. 15, 2014
I just sent the following letter of complaint to the Broadway/115th Street Morton Williams after a fellow shopper with a dog refused to leave. Maybe you could follow up with an article. I have never seen a dog in a NYC supermarket before and I have lived here my whole life, but perhaps there are more incidents and the law needs reenforcing.
“Dear Morton Williams:
We are a Columbia family and have been loyal, grateful customers at the Broadway/115th Columbia branch for years. That is, until yesterday, Sunday Dec 14, 2014 around noon when your manager/employees allowed a woman to shop with her dog. She was an attractive, small, woman with a small grey dog (perhaps a terrier). When I approached her and said, “Do you notice there are no other dogs here. They are not allowed.” she answered me in a foreign accent, yes, yes, I know, pulled the dog closer to her and continued shopping for at least another fifteen minutes without any of your employees asking her to leave. My understanding is that this is a NY STATE Law passed for health reasons. Please put a sign on the door. Train your employees. I suspect she does this frequently. I can’t tell you how upset this made me. (I didn’t talk to your store personnel. There was only one person at the cash register and no one else that I could see.) I hope you will take measures to be sure this does not happen again.
Here’s the thing: dogs, particularly hunting dogs, rescue dogs, shepherd dogs, farm help dogs, big dogs, dogs which need space, dogs which like grass and places to roam all day long (most dogs) don’t belong in the damn city anyway. What is it with people who think that dogs, particularly with so many breeds which need space in which to roam and live with freedom, should be cooped up in tiny apartments, walked on pavements 2x a day on a schedule befitting an office worker, and travel with a bunch of other breeds with which they would normally not interact? Why must people insist on shoving these dogs into these roach motels that we live in? Let’s face it: NYers live like cockroaches – everyone piled on top of each other. So we must make dogs live like us?
To the dog owner in the supermarket: go for it. It’s not like mice, rats, and roaches haven’t been over those same floors. Who cares?
Before worrying about dogs in supermarkets, how about going after those parents who aren’t vaccinating their kids? Do you people realize that our own vaccinations don’t last a lifetime? Those kids are putting the entire child and adult population at risk. I don’t want me or my children to contract polio, measles, mumps, ruebella, typhoid, or tuberculosis. Or Hep A, B, or C. Or whooping cough. Or diphtheria, tetanus or pertussis. I think is it amazing that the ignorance of the masses will bring back diseases that our ancestors fought so hard to eradicate.
To bad we can’t criminalize stupidity, arrogance, and sheer entitlement issues. This city is already going to the dogs. Let ’em have it. We haven’t done any better.
Thanks for being a voice of reason. What harm is done by a dog doing walking through the supermarket? NOt vaccinating your child at all, very risky.
And yes, for some dogs life in the city sucks. Many others get a lot of exercise in the parks and get out of the city regularly. It’s a much better life than being euthanized, living in a shelter, or being confined to a back yard in suburbia. It could be worse and for some dogs, it could be better. One person walking 10 dogs, especially in this city, ridiculous.
I am a dog owner & dogwalker. I don’t walk more than two dogs at a time and ALWAYS clean up after them. I don’t live in a “roach motel” and neither do my clients. Most dogs in NYC get more exercise than dogd that are just let out into the yard to relieve themselves. You sound like an angry person that needs find a positive outlet for that negative energy.
really? you had to bring vaccinations in the dog conversation? you keep getting your toxic jab and you’ll just be fine. Let others choose which poisons they put into their body. You may want to consider doing some more research from a more varied array of resources just besides the cdc/big pharma shills, etc… have an excellent year!
“To bad we can’t criminalize stupidity…”
To bad indeed.
Wholeheartedly disagree. T
his city is actually wonderful for dogs in terms of socialization and green areas. You’re reading a few random cases and assuming it’s the norm when 99 percent of dogs love it here and get along just fine. If you have a dog and don’t live close enough to a park to get your dog there every day then fair enough I see your point. But part of the appeal of the UWS is its proximity to parks and green areas so it’s fantastic for dogs. Yes our apartments are not 5000 square feet with backyards but dogs enjoy smaller home spaces anyway and like the den aspect of living here. Won’t argue with you on large pack walks and agree that owners should be able to pony up a fee extra bucks to get a single private walk or two dogs at most. But we moved up here from the country years ago with our golden receiver and she’s had more off leash and fun time in the city than she’s ever had. The responsibility is on the owner. If your dog is not social and doesn’t like other dogs fine. Just don’t let them off leash.
Re: “This city is already going to the dogs.”
REALLY ??
So THAT’s why over 50 MILLION tourists per YEAR flock to this marvelous city?
And why it is one of the top 5 places for wealthy foreign nationals to boast a second home?
And why so many many Hollywood productions are filmed here, attracting even more tourists who want to see for themselves the places they’ve seen on a screen?
Or why our Thanksgiving Day Parade and Fourth of July Fireworks are NATIONALLY TELEVISED?
Really, you should RUN, not walk, out of our city to a safe, bland, boring, sterile suburb where you and all of your fellow diversity-challenged suburbanites can devote endless chatter to that tewibble tewibble Gotham.
Tsk, tsk. So nasty. Do you act like this in person? Do you stand on street corners, ranting and raving to all and sundry? Such a sad representative of NYC. You are in no position to pass personal judgment on who I am or am not.
Clearly you are a self-entitled 1%er.
Sadly, the city is catering to your kind, Monsieur Trou-Du-Cul!
Re “Do you act like this in person?”
NO, not normally. Just to people who gratuitously denigrate this great city.
Re: “Do you stand on street corners, ranting and raving to all and sundry?”
NOPE, not to all and especially not to Sundry, whoever she is. But YES to obnoxious people who hate NYC.
Re: “Clearly you are a self-entitled 1%er”
NOPE. Just a retired NYC educator with a wonderful UFT-created pension.
Re: “Sadly, the city is catering to your kind, Monsieur Trou-Du-Cul!”
UMM…don’t recall ordering any catering.
Service animals are allowed anywhere the owner goes. Service animals also do not have to wear any identifying collars or leads. I probably wouldn’t lose sleep over a dog in the grocery store, seeing as how those same grocery stores (like most buildings in our city) are full of vermin anyway.
Simply put, this amounts to what my mother would call “people with too much time on their hands”.
Well really 4 dogs is the limit. More than that and it’s dangerous but I do see walkers with too many dogs. I will say that I know quite a few walkers and they love the dogs. I have no issue with the overwhelming majority and a dog in the supermarket? Probably nicer than most of the people. In Europe nobody would flinch. We are very uptight. Especially a small dog. Oh come on! I like that one.
First, we need to get rid of off leash hours. We love our pets but seem forget that they are animals, albeit cute animals, but animals regardless. They need to be on leashes and controlled. Second, we need to get rid of the “one free bite” rule which states that dog owners are not liable if they dog bites another dog or a person for the first time. It’s your animal, you are responsible for it.
As a dog owner, our family cherishes off leash hours. We have a large but low energy dog who enjoys sniffing things at his own pace and being friendly with other dogs. It’s an opportunity for dogs to stretch their legs a little bit and get a bit of exercise. Yes, he gets walked on a leash all other times but he loves when we go to the park and he can explore and have “free time.” He’s under control the whole time, even when he’s off leash. I think that people should train their dogs, exercise them enough and properly socialize them at an early age so that off leash time can be enjoyed by everyone. While there are some dogs who can’t handle off leash time, the majority can. And most of the owners of those dogs know to keep their dog on a leash except in a dog run.
I feel sorry for anyone who bothers to “complain” about anything a dog does such as be in a place where for hygiene reasons are not allowed. They, dogs, have been bestowed a deification by the pet people. The absolutism of the pet people can only be described as a cult. And like all cult members they have lost touch with common sense and perspective. A dog is a wonderful animal that in fact licks its own chops and those of other dogs. Their skin and hair is inviting to things humans rightly try to avoid. They don’t belong in certain places. And have you noticed the cult people are leaving on the sidewalk more and more often Zeus’s excrement? But I still love the best friend of the man or woman who feeds it. It’s the cult people I tip-toe around.
Having a dog in the city is animal cruelty. If that dog is attacked, that just makes their owners even more cruel. I know the dogs get walked, and I’m sure the owners try, but almost all city dogs are sad and depressed. Unless you have a classic 12, or have a dog the size of a rat, you should not have a dog in the city. It’s just selfish.
Oh yes, dogs should only be in the country where they can get mauled by bears, run over by cars, shot by angry kids with guns and thrown out of cars to fend for themselves when their owners no longer want them.
Amen.
Totally agree!! 100%
Get a cat you selfish narcissists!!
Yes, all dogs should live in the suburbs! Because it’s much healthier to be let out the back door for a 2 minute break in the backyard, versus the hours of walking they enjoy daily in the city. You might try this blog for a fresh perspective: https://www.marthastewart.com/953726/defense-city-dog
Emilia, perhaps you should speak with your super if you inhabit a roach motel. I don’t, and my friends don’t. I agree with Stan – it sounds like you’re ready to move to a fly-over state. Best of luck with that. Woof, Woof!
CJ, you claim: dogs in the suburbs are “let out the back door for a 2 minute break in the backyard” and city dogs enjoy “hours of walking they enjoy daily in the city.” What is the name of the alternate universe you live in?
You know, there are countless dog-loving people in this city who have very sweet animals and also respect their neighbors and others they come into contact with. These same people also respect and care for the city’s environs. It’s these stupid, careless, self-centered dog owners who ruin it for all of us. People and their dogs are often very alike. I have learned to “read” a person and their dog as I am approaching them…you really can tell what you may be about to encounter and I suggest just keeping out of their way and avoid engaging them at all. It’s always the crazies that ruin it for the rest of us who are trying so hard to keep it together for the greater good.
Has anyone else noticed more dog poop left on sidewalks in our neighborhood these days? I have and, for the first time in my entire 17 years of living here, I stepped in dog poop — not once but twice. We need to have better laws to ensure that people pick up after their dogs. If police want to make their ticket quotas, well then stand on W. 81st between Columbus and Amsterdam and ticket the dog owners who leave their precious dogs’ poop behind for others to enjoy. I think dog owners should have a three strikes and you’re out rule. If you are caught leaving poop behind three times, you lose your right to keep your dog. Maybe then they would be more diligent about cleaning up after their dogs.
Why do dog owners think that they do not have to pick up after their dog if it’s raining or snowing? I cannot count the number of mornings after a day of bad weather where I have to tell my kids to watch out for poop while we’re walking to school. And after a big snow storm, watch out for old poop that’s discovered after the snow melts…
agree with the sentiment, but the penalty you propose punishes the dog, which is not fair. I think, three strikes and you have to clean all the poop off a ten-block stretch.
That’s a great idea! OK, community service in the form of picking up poop.
It is the dog owners and walkers who are to blame, not the animals. It is up to owners and walkers to control their animals, remove their messes from sidewalks, pull them to the curb to do their duty, and be attentive while they are leashed or unleashed. Animals are less intelligent, but it is owners and walkers who behave with less intelligence when it comes to dogs.
The UWS has so much more to be concerned with than our four legged dogs. What about the two legged dogs who don’t clean up after themselves and do whatever they please, whenever and wherever. The vermin are taking over this city while the deaf, dumb, blind and totally ignorant ‘decision makers’ turn major traffic routes into pedestrian malls and bicycle lanes with absolutely no consideration for those attempting business needs and the residents. Obviously they no longer are of any importance. Just try to cross WEA or B’way which have been turned into traffic nightmares for vehicles and pedestrians during rush hour EVERY morning and evening. Get real people and ‘see’ the forest ……
I know many responsible dog walkers that are able to walk up to 10 dogs without any problem. They generally have more control over their dogs than an irresponsible dog owner who walks one tiny little yappy dog that provokes other dogs. That being said, no dog walkers/owners should be texting while walking a dog and pedestrians should not approach dogs on leash without asking permission.
I am a dog owner and I completely agree we should follow the laws and rules (pick up after your dog, keep it leashed except when explicitly permitted not to, supervise your dog, etc). People who don’t follow these rules are incredibly inconsiderate. If you take care of your dog in the city it’s not cruel at all — there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it and I guarantee you that the vast majority of those city dogs are happier than dogs stuck in a suburban back yard alone all day, or in a shelter. finally, I do worry about some dogwalkers — i often see them on the phone or trxting while walking too many dogs — more than they can supervise. I have no issue walking dogs in packs, but there is a limit to how many one person can watch well, and certainly texting or phone conversations are not super responsible…
Like so many other things, this comes down to people being considerate, respectful, and attentive.
Amen K. amen.
You selfish or lazy dog owners that don’t curb your pooch or pick up their poop should have your noses rubbed in it. Doesn’t having to navigate a mine field of feces & pee stains on YOUR OWN sidewalks disgust you? There isn’t a neighborhood in the city with sidewalks as gross as the Upper West Side.
very simple remedy – GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONE and watch where you’re stepping. Are you the big, tough guy that was outraged when a tiny dog ran in front of him while jogging and grabbed a tree limb, hitting the little dog, severing the poor dog’s spine? This of course resulted in the dog having to be euthanized. Of course the cowardly murderer raced from the scene of the crime.
@dog owner
Surely your not suggesting that it’s okay not to pick up after your dog. If that is what your saying I would love to hear the rationale. Seriously, how do you rationalize leaving fecal matter in piles on the sidewalk for some poor Super or shopkeeper to clean up? Not a rhetorical question. Please explain.
im also a dog owner – and I would throttle the man who did that to a dog if I could. But that doesn’t make it all right to leave feces around in shared space. Do the right thing – clean up after your dog and curb them as much as you can. I can’t always get my dog to the curb, but I ALWAYS a clean up.
Wow. A person commenting on a quality of life issue that is caused by pure selfishness on the part of a subset of dog owners who do not have the decency to pick-up their dog’s feces is compared to a person who killed a dog. That is beyond the pale. I don’t know about the commenter you are lashing out at but I don’t walk while texting or looking at my phone, why should I have to dodge dog crap everywhere I go? Why should ANYONE, dog owner or non-dog owner, have to worry about stepping in any dog feces?
Um, okay. When you come down from whatever planet you’re on please curb your dog!
and here is another problem, I too have lived here for 40 years and now see dogs off leash in the subway, I have seen this so often it has make me stop and wonder, They are not in a carrying bag . Did I miss something. What do we do? It is getting out of hand. I understand if a person is blind a seeing eye dog but this.???
For many years, I ran a dog walking service whose central mantra was “No Gang Walks.” Each dog deserves individual exercise regimens. The “walkers” who have 10 or 20?? dogs cannot give proper attention or care to those dogs, no matter how well intentioned the care-giver might be.
It is well-documented that caring for pets helps human health, and prolongs the life of both species. Just be aware that we all exist together in a cosmos that needs care from all it’s inhabitants.
Love dogs….but people should not be taking their dogs into stores,especially not food or drugstores. But unfortunately there seems to be an increase in this (particularly it seems by 20-something women, recent to NYC…)
Over the past few years, have also noticed an increase in sidewalk poop.
Also an increase in people who put their small dogs inside the tree guard fencing to go (though the point of tree guards is to keep dogs away from trees…)
West 57 down to West 52 on Eighth Ave. Lots of “poop presents” on the sidewalk. Its increasing every week.
There is this lady that goes on Riverside Park and 95th street with two very aggressive chocalate labs. She takes them off the leash with little regard for anyone else that is in the park. I have been run up on multiple times, they aggressively bark and snarl at me. They surround me and this lady could care less. I have started to carry to knife for this specific reason and will defend myself against any unrestraint dog.
To all these people I say “TAKE A PICTURE” Just about everyone carries a cell phone that takes pictures, so take one. It will help the police and authorities identify dogs and walkers. WSR could even post them to see if any reader can id them.
Too many times I see dogs tied up outside a store while the owner is shopping. With dog nappings always a concern and possibility, I don’t mind if an owner takes the dogs inside, as long as they are well behaved. In a perfect world people would walk their dog, take it home, then shop. But, well you know.
And it has been said before, but without NYers adopting dogs, there would be more than the millions of animals euthanized yearly.
There are two bit pulls in my building– one of which is always muzzled and very aggressive.
And my sister in law had one, too.
I do not get all of these middle-aged single women who think put bulls are loveable pups.
They are not.
They are aggressive and impossibly strong.
They cannot handle them
Foreign people know that the health laws against animals are bullshit. That’s because animals in their countries are allowed in stores. The complaint about an animal being in a store is a really stupid one..when you have people who don’t know how to train dogs or how to handle aggressive ones be allowed to own a dog in the first place. Let’s get our animal priorities right first..before we bother people with our ignorance about a small dog in a store! You just proved how stupid we look to more progressive countries who understand priorities.
I have been living on the UWS since 1968 and have always had a dog. I belonged to a the group of dog folks who were brave enough to take their dogs for their last walk in the evening (usually around 10 sometimes 11pm)into Riverside Park. It was because of us that joggers started coming into the park and, over time, bicyclists started coming in during the days and the park lost it’s reputation(probably well deserved at the time)for being dangerous. The Riverside Group had a few unwritten but well-observed rules re: our responsibilities: if two dogs got into a fight the owners would try to break it up(there is a tried and true procedure for this-which I will not go into here).If one of the dogs was hurt badly enough to need vet attention, the owners would split the vet bill. This was based on the fact that most (and “most” is the operative word)owners would exchange phone #’s. Also the other dog owners would police the situation. When the poop law was passed dog owners would also police other dog owners if they saw a constant offender.Re: dogs in small apartments: Dogs have far less interest in their surroundings than they have in feeling loved, being fed and needed.
Especially rescue dogs. I grew up in the country around dogs,cats, horses,mules, goats,etc. and know for a fact that love and being cared for is the most important thing to any animal. The rest is great. I’m all for exercise and socialization but love is what really matters to them.The rest is gravy. I have had friends who raised Borzoi’s in a one bedroom apt. and another friend who always had Great Danes in her UWS one bedroom apt.And lately there are the rescued greyhounds.You bet even a tiny studio would make them happier than a cage at a race track or a pen and dog house outside someone’s house. And as far as the person who made the remark about interspecies interacting I think she better read about KoKo(the gorilla and her cat).I have seen horses become very attached to the barn cats. My dogs(80 lb shepherds) always played with my cats-here in my one bedroom apt. And as we all know from scientific studies and someone even commented on it here,animals have been proven to be emotionally therapeutic for challenged children and adults and are now being used by the medical profession to identify cancers in humans. As to a lot of the other comments that have been made here I think lack of personal experience and general awareness is behind a lot of it. Walking 10 dogs at once is not so terrible if the walker is not texting or on their cell phones. I am sick to death of seeing nannies and mom’s walking with strollers or the child by the hand and she’s on the cell phone paying no attention whatsoever to the child’s needs. And someone is quite right about dog’s being pack animals.As long as they are good with each other and the walker is responsible two or three -maybe even four does not seem too unreasonable,in my opinion -such as it is.
Newsflash:
Lightning, improved policing and park renovation brought people to the Riverside Park not the boundless courage of dog owners. The phrase “legend in their own mind” keeps going through my head.
I know exactly the dogs that attacked Chico the mini schnauzer. The Shepard mix has attacked my dog on 2 occasions (no injuries fortunately) as well as many others (some with injury). The owner is not quite right mentally and verbally and aggressvely attacks in defense of his dogs attacking.
He’s been reported to the police and park staff many times over the last 2+ plus years (the pit was added in the last year) yet nothing has been done. I fear nothing will be until a human gets hurt by the dogs and/or owner.
Sometimes it feels like all of the UWS outdoors is one giant doggy toilet. I cannot walk out my door for 5 minutes without running into some human letting their dog relieve itself on the sidewalk, in tree beds, and on sidewalk trash piles awaiting pick up. If humans cannot poop and urinate all over the place, including sidewalks, streets, parks and the like, why should dogs be allowed to?