Scary leash accident or a crime?
by Pets
The City of San Jose is considering a ban on the practice of people who ride their bikes and walk/run their dogs at the same time. If approved, it would be the first law like it in the nation.
This comes after the death of a 62-year-old woman last month who was tripped by a cyclist whose leashed dogs were running alongside him on the Los Alamitos Creek Trail south of Almaden Lake Park. Beverly Head was tripped by the dog’s leashes, which got hooked behind her leg, causing her to fall and hit her head. She died of brain injuries just a few hours later.
Now city officials are trying to determine if it would be reasonable to make it a crime to lead a dog by a leash while riding a bike. There is nothing in the city ordinances that say it’s illegal, only that the owners must have direct physical contact with their dogs.
Head’s husband Bob claims his wife was worried about the practice before when she saw a little dog having a hard time keeping up with its cycling owner.
Park officials expressed hesitancy at imposing more laws on what many view as an accident.
Thoughts?
Sue McGuire 
They’d better be prepared to deal with disabled folks in wheelchairs doing the exact same thing. Where do you draw the line? How about runners that run with their dog? They often times are moving faster than someone on a bike! How about we just ban leashes since that was the true cause of the accident?
Most outdoor activities have some inherent risk involved, we don’t make them illegal. If the city of San Jose is truly concerned about preventing this from happening again they will create bike lanes on walking paths.
Either way, it sounds like Beverly was a little too passionate about the issue, I have little doubt that she intentionally stepped in the way of this cyclist to make a point. Obviously she didn’t expect to fall or be severely injured but her husbands comment seems a bit too convenient.
by James
Ms. Head’s death was an unfortunate accident that should in no way make running a dog with a bicycle illegal. (The very idea is a great example of a typically over-the-top approach to making life completely safe through legislation.) There are many dogs that can benefit from being exercised with bikes (with appropriate bike gear, like a device called a Springer, or dog-powered scooters) that, used sensibly, pose no threat to pedestrians. The operant word, I suppose, is “sensible.” When we can effectively legislate good sense in our populace, I’ll vote for it.
by Janis Dolphin
It should be a law, it’s dangerous for everyone, the cyclist, the animal and pedestrians.
by Thelma
Yes, this was an accident – - but an accident that could have been avoided if there was a leash law in place. Not only is riding a bike with dogs unsafe to others, it’s unsafe for the rider and for the dogs. Dogs have been knows to zig and zag and pulll a rider off the bike or into traffic. Plus – yes, dogs like to run, but they are not marathon runners. Normal dog speeds do not match those reached on a bike or for the length of rides they are taken on.
I think a law banning the pratice all together is a great idea!
by Heather
I agree it’s a dangerous practice for the dog, rider, walker, or car passing by. I see it often here in Sonoma County. Usually the rider is helmetless.
My dog is well behaved but if she saw a squirrel or a deer it would be all over. I’ve even seen people driving with the leashed dog trotting along side the car.
Some people have no imagination and terrible things are the result.
by left bank
I can’t beleive how many stupid comments are on here…
Quotes from “Heather”
“yes, dogs like to run, but they are not marathon runners.”
- actually a lot of working and athletic breeds could easily run a marathon. (border collie, husky, etc.)
“Normal dog speeds do not match those reached on a bike or for the length of rides they are taken on.”
- What kind of dog? What kind of rider? Obviously a greyhound can run faster than most bikers will go. Equally as obvious is that a chihuahua can’t go nearly that fast. So your gneralization is massively retarded. And as for the length of ride their taken on… you make it sound like if you take your dog on a bike ride you have to go minimum 500 miles. Heather you just got owned.
by Pat
I must agree on the dog’s specific abilities. I mentioned before a woman who does this bike/dog leash thing at Ragle Park in Sebastopol and quite frankly, it’s probably how she keeps her dog and herself sane.
Exercise is the number one suggestion for easing behavior challenges in dogs. Get them tired out, appropriately.
Most of our suburban dogs are under-exercised, under-trained and under-socialized.
by Pets
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