I promised Arlington Patch editor Pedro Oliveira that I’d devote this installment of my Weekly Yip to the off-leash dog discussion that has recently taken place on the Arlington List, as well as on Patch, but I found it really difficult to come up with a solid opinion to proclaim. I was reminded of the emotion wheels I used to make to help my students in Japan learn to express their feelings in English. These past weeks, the spinner on my wheel has been darting around from angry, to embarrassed, to glad and more.

First, I felt angry when I read Sue Doctrow’s Nov. 12 reminder on the Arlington Dog Owners Group Facebook page: “As of this month, the off leash fines have increased from a warning to $75 (first offense) through $200 (fourth and subsequent offenses).”

Although these fines were passed at Town Meeting last spring, it still upsets me—particularly the bit about skipping a warning and going straight to a $75 fine. Never mind that Arlington’s fines are now higher for the offense than any town in our area, but to do away with a warning for even a first offense in which no harm was done seems just plain mean-spirited.

Although some commented on the Arlington List that it’s a dog owner’s responsibility to research the town’s regulations with regards to letting dogs off leash, the reality is that many new dog owners and some dog owners coming in from areas where leash laws may exist on the books bur aren’t enforced may not understand that. They see other dogs off leash or perhaps get misinformation from other people so they figure that’s the culture of the area. I’d be very angry if I were one of those people and got a $75 ticket for each of my dogs without the courtesy of a warning. In fact, I believe it was a new resident in just such a situation that sparked this resurgence in the conversation about off-leash program in town.

After a warning, I say, make your fines any astronomical amount you’d like, but give a person the benefit of the doubt the first time around—at least if no harm to person or property was done by having their dogs off leash. Take the opportunity to educate the offender about the rules and the penalties for breaking the rules. Ask them to pass it on. Do this in a respectful, non-threatening way. Make note of the warning, and zap ‘em good if you’d like—if there’s a next time.

By the way, from Doctrow’s  Facebook message, I also learned that Wes Beal has created a petition for Arlington residents who disagree with the current fine amounts for off-leash violations. It reads, “We, the undersigned, find the current fines and regulations pertaining to dogs, specifically off-leash dogs, to not reflect our values as a town. We will be strongly inclined to support candidates for Selectman and Town Meeting Member who publicly support and pledge to reduce the fine for an off-leash dog to no more than $50.00.” Click here to access the petition online.

Although I found the tone of his comment off-putting and unhelpful, I was somewhat embarrassed when I read Tim Maloney’s contribution to the debate that raged in the comment section after Patch’s informal poll titled, “Are Off-Leash Parks Working in Arlington?”

Maloney wrote, “What is so hard to understand there are people who do not feel comfortable around dogs and they do not need to provide a horror story or justify why they feel this way to you, me or anyone else”

I think that is absolutely true, and I know that there are some among the dog-owning community who feel that people should just get over their fear or dislike, and may not be as respectful around people who want to avoid dogs as they ought to be. And although I believe that such dog owners are a minority, I also understand that people are much more likely to remember and talk about a negative encounter than a neutral one, marring the reputation of dog owners in general.

I was glad to read in Oliveira’s article (about the poll’s results) that signage detailing off-leash rules would be increased. That, I think, will be a big help in preventing misunderstandings. I’m hopeful that the fenced dog park Arlington will be opening will also alleviate some of the pressure. At present, there are no legal off-leash options for Arlington families who have to be at work very early and can’t take advantage of the morning hours. Although I know it would require another struggle at Town Meeting to get a bylaw change passed, I’d love to see some afternoon and evening off-leash options outside the fenced dog park passed—even if it were just in a few locations.

I was ambivalent to hear that Arlington’s animal control officer would begin varying his hours to better enforce the current rules, although as I said earlier, I’m unhappy about the immediate ticket without a warning for a first offense. Arlington dog owners should be obeying the program rules at all times even if they don’t like them. My hope is that by obeying the rules, residents can demonstrate that they are responsible and trustworthy, thus having a better chance at getting more freedoms approved in the future.

Finally, I’m a bit sad that there continues to be such tension in Arlington over “man’s best friend.” As I write this with Skylar’s long, wet snout tucked lovingly under my arm, I just wish everyone loved dogs as much and understood them as well as I do. They are such amazing creatures, and I have a deep respect for them. I want so much for them to enjoy the full and enriched lives that I believe they deserve. I also wish all humans could experience the same joy I feel at seeing friendly dogs frolicking freely with glee.