I’m glad the Anchorage Animal Control committee is discussing leash laws in Anchorage. I love dogs — I probably would love your dog. But I don’t love having unleashed dogs on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
I walk this trail 3-5 times a week. It’s a beautiful trail, and it is well used. On a sunny day, there can be hundreds of people enjoying the trail. Your unleashed dog is a nuisance on this trail. No matter how well-behaved you think your dog is, he’s causing problems. There are bikes, kids, runners, walkers and sometimes complete chaos. Your dog is a big part of the chaos.
I’ve seen unleashed dogs cause bike wrecks; I’ve seen them knock over small children, and I’ve had them attack my leashed dog.
There are trails in Anchorage that are less crowded and where your dog can run free. Take your dogs to those trails. But, on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail — the whole thing, all the way to Kincaid — keep your dog on a lease, please.
To the Animal Control committee: If you do nothing else, please enforce leash laws on the Coastal Trail.
— Leslie Ridle
Anchorage
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