Man Walking a Dog on Leash Pulls a Gun on Off-Leash Dogs
The Somerville Police and Animal Control Departments will be stepping up enforcement of the leash law in Somerville and issuing citations after a man walking a small dog on leash in Foss Park on Tuesday morning pulled out a handgun and threatened to shoot two large off-leash dogs.
The incident is a strange and scary reminder that communities need designated areas where it is safe and legal for people to enjoy the benefits of socializing and exercising our dogs off-leash. Most responsible dog owners understand that it can be dangerous to allow an off-leash dog to approach a leashed dog, but most of us expect that the danger is that the leashed dog may go into "flight-or-fight" mode and, being restrained from flight by his leash, will have no other recourse than to fight. You cannot always anticipate what your dog will encounter when she or he is off-leash in an area that is not designated as an off-leash recreational area.
The man who pulled his gun on the dogs in Foss Park had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Permits to carry a concealed weapon are issued by the town of the individual's residence. Somerville Police Chief Anthony Holloway is contacting the Chief of Police in the town where the individual lives and is asking that the permit be revoked.
The Chief emphasized that, along with Mayor Curtatone, he wants Somerville to be a safe place to live, work and play: He is not going to tolerate people pulling out their guns in our town. He said, if the person were a Somerville resident, he would already have had the permit revoked.
The owner of the off-leash dogs has described the incident on the discussion group for the Middlesex Fells Dog Owners Group (FellsDOG).
Saxton J. Foss Park is located on McGrath Highway at Broadway. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Dogs must be on leash in the park.
