I want to tell you a story about my sweetheart of a dog, Zoey. Zoey is 10 years old and loves everyone. She is gentle around every person, and she is especially fond of babies and toddlers. She had always gotten along with other animals as well, and she used to be best friends with a cat. She is a very sweet, loyal, and submissive dog.

A few years ago, she was attacked by a dog slightly larger than her while visiting family. He put his teeth on the back of her neck, snarling, and pinned her to the ground. Zoey froze in fear. I’ll never forget the look of pure terror in her eyes. My partner was standing next to them and was able to get him off of her before any serious physical damage was done.

But the experience has since caused her to be scared around dogs her size or bigger. She is not aggressive towards other dogs, but she is afraid these big strangers might attack her like the other dog did.

Despite this fear, Zoey absolutely adores going on walks, leashed and secured in her harness. Because of her nervousness around big dogs, we do not take her to dog parks; we take her to public parks and hiking trails in Colorado Springs where dogs are supposed to be leashed.

But on many occasions, we have been accosted by an off-leash pup, whether friendly or not, while their owners laugh at me when I sternly remind them of the leash law. One resident even said, “You can call the cops on me if you want!,” knowing that calling it in would not do anything about the situation, and so they can simply ‘get away with it.’

Zoey and I should be able to go on walks at public parks and trails without the fear of off-leash dogs invading her space, making her uncomfortable, or possibly attacking her or her owners. This is why I started this petition.

Colorado Springs is an extremely dog-friendly place, but a lot of us deal with apprehension in going to public parks every day in our community because certain residents refuse to leash their dogs. Our parks and trails display signs that clearly state that leashing your dog is compulsory — it is the law. Despite this, there is a shocking disparity in enforcement by the city’s authorities.

Unleashed dogs are not just a risk to other pets, but also to humans. According to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study, about 4.7 million dog bites occur in the United States each year, and 800,000 of those bites result in medical care. The failure to enforce leash laws poses an immediate threat to our community's safety.

We are not against dogs having their freedom; our city boasts numerous dog parks specifically designed for them to roam freely. But it's crucial to respect designated public parks and trails, which are meant to be safe spaces for everyone, pets included. Here is a list of some of the dog parks and designated off-leash areas in Colorado Springs:
Bear Creek Dog Park (25 acres!), Rampart Dog Park, Palmer Park (designated areas), Cheyenne Meadows Dog Park, Red Rock Canyon (designated areas). And more...

Colorado Springs should be a place where everyone feels safe to hike or walk with their families and properly leashed dogs. The blatant disregard for the leash law by certain residents is causing a major issue in our community that many people are passionate about rectifying.

We request that city authorities actively enforce leash laws to protect our pets, children, and neighbors. We are asking for more patrolling, higher penalties, easier reporting, and updated signage. Stand with us and demand the enforcement of the Colorado Springs leash law to ensure safety and peace in our community. Please, sign this petition today.

We are having a free community event on May 31st at Palmer Park! Bring your doggos and enjoy the photo booth, training demos, food trucks, adoption event, and meet with local dog-related small businesses! Link to the community event page!:  https://www.facebook.com/share/1BxM625Fn8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Here is the link to the petition video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19tSafPSsY/