If there’s one thing in this world I universally loathe, it’s dog owners who can’t be bothered to control their animals, or take care of them. Now, we all know that there are a lot of things I’m not very fond of, but this particular pet peeve (ha ha) of mine has been exacerbated of late, so I’m going to take a moment to rant about it, because I can.

I really don’t understand what is so hard about keeping dogs under control. I think it’s pretty obvious that no one likes loose dogs, because dogs can be dangerous and unpredictable, and even if your dog is nice, your dog can still scare people, or knock children over, or, hey, run out into the street and get hit by a car. It’s really not just a generic distaste for dogs that makes me loathe loose dogs, it’s a concern for animals who are allowed to roam free in situations which could be dangerous for them and others.

Yesterday afternoon, I was nearly savaged by some idiot’s dog which was just roaming about, willy nilly, because their yard doesn’t even have a fence. As it turns out, the dog was also obviously nursing, and new mothers tend to be testy no matter what the species, so there were a few minutes there where I was actually concerned, especially when the dog started snapping at my bag. The owner, of course, was nowhere in sight as I bellowed and careened around the alley trying to shake the dog off.

And I was struck with a moral conundrum. I feel like if a person came at me like that, I would do whatever was necessary to stop that person, including hitting and kicking. Yet, I felt hesitant to do that to the dog, because, well, dogs aren’t people. It’s not the dog’s fault that her owner is reckless and stupid, and being violent with her would probably make the situation even more agitated. I’m not really sure how to defend myself against a dog which is freaking out, especially when I don’t know the cause, but I was intrigued to find that I was unable to go with my gut reaction, which was to repel the dog in any way that I could. Fortunately for me, her puppies started freaking out, so she ran off before I was forced to do something drastic.

Most of the time, loose dogs are just annoying, not dangerous. They poop on bike paths, for example. They bark constantly, which is just obnoxious. Some even growl and snap, but obviously don’t mean to do anything about it. The neighbors down the alley from me have a very young and very sweet dog who jumps out of their yard and tries to follow me whenever I walk past, which is irritating for me, because I feel like I can’t just keep walking, because the dog will follow me, but it’s not like it causes bodily harm. Other loose dogs are just exuberant, with lots of energy, and some people just plain aren’t into that.

Maybe it’s because I grew up on a farm, but controlling dogs is just common sense, to me. I think that the rules of behaviour dictate that you keep your dog on a leash, or in a secured area, because, guess what, not everyone likes dogs, no matter how nice they are. In fact, some people are afraid of dogs. As in really, really afraid, because they were savaged by loose dogs at some point. And dogs chase other animals, like pets, and, say, farm animals. I lost several pets growing up because of irresponsible, reckless, thoughtless dog owners who thought it was perfectly acceptable to let their dogs run loose.

Furthermore, at least in California, it’s the law. You have to keep your dog on a leash or penned, and you can get in trouble if you don’t. And your neighbors will probably hate you a lot less when they’re not dealing with your dog constantly. Pretty much everyone without a dog who lives next door to poorly controlled dogs secretly wishes that their neighbors would slip on banana peels, or receive an IRS audit, or something equally unpleasant. Trust me.

I believe that dog owners who don’t control their animals are stupid, and rude, and reprehensible. Their behaviour exhibits no respect or thought for society, and a profound lack of interest in thinking about other people. It also suggests that they don’t care about their animals that much, given that loose dogs can be rounded up by animal control, and if they make it onto farms, farmers are entitled to shoot them. So think about that the next time you let your dog off the leash “just for a minute,” self righteous dog owners.