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[disnut8]

Dog park leash tickets dismissed
Women were cited for letting dogs run in new off-leash area

By YOLANDA RODRÍGUEZ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/28/06
The pooches at Cobb County's dog park can rest easy.

Prosecutors said Monday they had dismissed tickets that officers gave two women for having their dogs off their leashes in the county's new dog park, a place designed specifically for dogs to run off their leashes.

"We dismissed them because the county set up the park for that reason," said Barry Morgan, the Cobb County solicitor. "It seemed like the appropriate thing to do."  (disnut's comment - DUH!!!!!!)

The conflict between the county's leash law and the park came to light after a terrier mix named Paul nipped a Labrador mix named Bob at the dog park, part of Sweat Mountain Park in east Cobb.

Cobb's animal control office cited the women involved, Clare Salkin and Brenda Young, for violating the county's leash law. They were to have gone to court this week.

"I'm thrilled," said Salkin, whose dog Bob was nipped in the ear by Paul. "I can't imagine how they could have found me guilty for doing something the county told me to do."

Young paid Salkin's $80 vet bill for the nipping, which drew blood but required no stitches, Salkin said.

The animal control office also cited the women for violating an ordinance that says owners must control and restrain animals to prevent property damage and biting.

On those charges, prosecutors will dismiss Salkin's ticket and reduce Young's ticket to a warning, Morgan said.

"The reason we didn't dismiss that is, what if it had been a child? We didn't want to set a precedent of dismissing those types of tickets," Morgan said.
The women got the news Monday.

"I'm glad I don't have to go to court," Young said.

[elmono311]

What in the world? So they make a dog park specifically for use for dogs without leashes but they still enforce the leash laws there? Stupid cops. If I were a cop, I'd use common sense and not issue leash law tickets there. And about the child thing... it was a dog, not a child. Dogs have their own thing going on between each other.

[disnut8]

And if a child approached a dog in that park, I'm sure the owner would react differently.  I can't tell you how many times we've seen tuffs of fur on the floor because the cats were "playing".  It sounded like the women handled everything themselves with the one paying the vet bill.

BTW - Cobb County is noted for its stupid people.