Pet Tracks
TO LEASH OR NOT TO LEASH, THAT IS THE QUESTION
with Jan Jaeger
Thanksgiving has been heavy on my mind this week and I have been pondering the things I have to be thankful for. Chief among them is that as a pet owner, I share, along with many others, a thankfulness that we are living on Nantucket, and not at many of the places we have lived before or have seen where pets are viewed as a bad thing, where their presence is deemed unhealthy or undesirable.

I am thankful I can open my door and go down my dirt road with my dog unfettered and unbothered. I am thankful that I can drive to remote moors and find wonderful places to explore with my dog, unleashed. For me, and for many, a walk on the beach would not be a pleasure without being able to let the dog run into the water or take a quick swim to retrieve a favorite ball or stick.

Many years ago, when we arrived here for husband Fred's job interview, I was amazed to see dogs being walked downtown, riding along with their owners in cars and participating in all phases of life; a life so different from where we were then living, where taking a dog for a walk in one of the city's numerous parks, even on a leash, was prohibited. Truly, Nantucket was a dream come true for a dog lover.

But times change. Taking things for granted, getting lazy and proprietary about our privileges comes to no good end. And so this past summer, public safety concerns led to restricted pet access to beach locations. Followers of this column know that I always preach responsible pet ownership, which includes maintaining your dog under control and picking up after them. Because some of us have taken advantage of the situation and behaved in an insensitive and irresponsible way, all of us have to pay the price for their negligence. I don't like it, but I get it.

Now, some of our dog lovers want to cut a deal. They want to create a legal situation where we can still enjoy our open spaces with our pets if we maintain control and responsibility for our pets. So, an article has been proposed for the Town Meeting Warrant. After reading the proposed article, I can see how some might be confused about its intent, but it is amazing how quickly and inaccurately information can flow.

My first clue was a call from a very upset customer the end of last week who wanted to know when and where this Special Town Meeting was to be held to discuss abolishing the leash law, because he definitely wanted to be there. Daniel Manville is a strong proponent of the leash law. He said, "My Cairn Terrier, always on a leash, has been attacked by loose dogs in the State Forest. Their owners always say, 'My dog has never done that!' I don't understand why you would want your dog off the leash ever, because it's for their own safety."

Partly to blame for the upheaval is the other newspaper's feature last Thursday, "Voices of Nantucket," a man-on-the-street interview, which posed the question, "An article has been proposed to eliminate Nantucket's leash law. What are your feelings?"

I have spoken with two of the sponsors for the article and this is what I have found out. The existing wording of the current law is:

No person within the confines of the Town shall at any time permit a dog owned or kept by such keeper run at large beyond the confines of the property of the owner or keeper unless the dog is held firmly on a leash.

According to spokesman Dr. John West, the proposed article language is: No person within the confines of the Town shall at any time permit a dog owned or kept by such keeper run at large unless the dog is under the control of the owner or keeper and such owner/keeper is indicating responsibility for the dog's behavior.

Dr. West insists, "This article was never intended to eliminate the leash law." He suggests the language of the proposed article needs reworking to make the right point and he is pursuing a discussion with Town Counsel DeRensis to refine its wording. The intent and concern voiced by the framers of the Article is that they propose preserving the right of a pet owner to take their pets to the non-lifeguarded beaches or open spaces, but do not propose, in any way, eliminating leash laws for Town or public places.

Concerned year-round citizen Ginger Ivey, who was instrumental in promoting this issue, comments, "I have been coming to Nantucket for much of my life; it is such a glorious place to come with my animals. I just feel that in certain situations, if the dog is under the supervision of its owner, it doesn't need to be on a leash. Because I go to the beach with my dogs every day, I am focused on the beach access problem. It is unconscionable to suggest dogs should run loose in town or all over this island."

Stay tuned. This will be a hot topic. My best wishes

for a Happy Thanksgiving. I

Jan Jaeger is owner of Geronimo's, Ltd., Nantucket's pet supply and gift shop, and is a member of DWAA and CWA (Dog and Cat Writer's Associations of America). Her pets at home are Junior, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and three cats. At the shop are the cats, Messrs. Fish and Chips, Flower bunny, Willie guinea pig and two budgies. Send email to jan@geronimos.com.