Off-Leash Dogs Cause Stir in SE Portland Neighborhood

The dispute over dogs being off-leash in Portland became more heated in Eastmoreland recently when a pit bull killed another dog at Duniway Elementary School.

While people initially thought the pit bull had killed the other dog purposefully, it is now believed that the two dogs were playing roughly when one accidentally choked the other with its lead.

“When I first heard the news that a rescued pit bull mauled another dog’s neck and killed it, I thought ‘how tragic’ and ‘I hope that pit bull wasn’t our friend’s dog’ and ‘I don’t want that dog on the field ever again,’” Gretchen Johnson-Gelb, a mother of Duniway children, said. “Then to find out that it was our friend’s dog, and the story was not an accurate account of events, I have felt a little different.”

Portland has 33 designated off-leash areas; the Portland Public School grounds are not included. Despite the sign on Duniway’s field that reads, ‘No dogs on school grounds during school hours. Please clean up after your dog!’, Matt Goldstein, the principal of Duniway Elementary, said that PPS has a long standing tradition of allowing people and their pets to use the field and play structures.

“The school district has received several complaints this year from people in the neighborhood who have been concerned about unleashed dogs chasing and possibly biting,” Goldstein said. “Several families also contacted Multnomah County Animal Control, who in the last month have spent more time patrolling the area around Duniway.”

Off-leash dogs can be worrisome for parents when dogs and children are sharing a space. Earlier this year, one dog nipped multiple adults and children, causing concern amongst parents and people who live in the neighborhood.

“I spoke to the owner (of the aggressive dog) a couple of times and he was not at all responsive or remorseful,” Johnson-Gelb said. “I discussed the incident with other neighbors who knew the owner and asked them to deal with him.”

As long as the dogs and owners are respectful, it seems the space can be shared without too much concern.

“I do allow my dogs to run off-leash only at Duniway once kids are released from school, usually after four in the afternoon,” Dick Hazel, a neighbor to Duniway Elementary, said. “Like other dog owners there, we do our best to keep them away from the play structures, respecting the rights of parents concerned about having their kids around dogs.”

Although the recent death caused some concern, no one is making severe changes because of the presumed accidental nature of the mishap.

“It’s hard to say if there is a clear solution to keep the space both child and dog-friendly,” Jonhson-Gelb said. “But it is clear to me that it cannot work without responsible users of the field. And that it is a school first, an athletic field second, a shared open space third and a dog park last.”