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Editor:
I am a disabled student who, until recently, was accompanied to classes by a service dog. Having a service dog allowed me to be much more independent than I would otherwise be. No longer will people see me walking with my German shepherd with the red saddlebags. She has been too traumatized by loose-running dogs on campus.
In the last three weeks, I have had to call campus police three times about a dog that is continuously loose on campus. The first two times I called, there was no response by UAPD. The third time, an officer responded, but when the owner told him that her dog wasn't vicious, he told her she could go and then canceled a call to the Pima Animal Control Center, even though they had already arrived on campus. The owner was allowed to remain on campus with the dog unrestrained for an additional five hours because the officer believed the dog was not vicious.
The last time I looked at the leash law, it didn't say that dogs that appear vicious must be leashed. This person, who refused to identify herself, said she didn't believe in leash laws and that she did not have the kind of relationship with her dog that allowed him to be leashed. Please, if you must bring your dog on campus, put a leash on and keep hold of the leash. This is for everyone's protection, including the dog's. My partner may have to be permanently retired because someone didn't choose to follow the leash law, and the UAPD didn't enforce it.
Joy L. Van Veen
animal sciences junior
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