Leashes - not just a cute dog accessory

My day is looking better, but I had a little incident when I popped home to let Bella out and decided to take her for a walk, since it's so gorgeously sunny out. As we were walking (she was on her leash), these two dogs come running up who were twice her size. I tried to position myself between them and her and her the hair along her spine stood up, which happens when she gets scared. The owner, thankfully, was outside, but he was just calling for the dogs and they weren't listening. So, I called out, "Can you come get your dogs, please?!?" And he said, "Don't worry, they don't bite."

I HATE that. I have had plenty of encounters with dogs where they do something their owner has never seen them do before -- be it growl at me, try to bite me or roll over and let me rub their bellies. I have never met your dogs before and vice versa -- I or my dog could do something that sets them off. So, instead of telling me your dog doesn't bite, how 'bout you put it on a leash and get the damn animal away from me and my leashed dog?

Miraculously, I managed to maintain my cool and replied, "Well, she doesn't know that. They're twice her size and she's terrified." So, he tried lamely to get them under control and when we could, we walked off and I thanked him for his help.

Grrrr...I hate irresponsible pet owners. In my neighborhood in Portland, the neighbor across the street lets her cats (all 6 of them) run freely around the neighborhood. And this really annoyed me, as well as my next door neighbor, since the cats liked to use her yard and garden as a litter box. She once said, "You know, I have to clean up after my dogs when I take them out. Cat owners should have to do the same." Well, cats are a bit different than dogs, but I do agree with her sentiment. It's not okay to get pets and then just let them run wild. That's not only irresponsible to your neighbors but also to the pets.

Okay, I'm getting off my soap box.