Yesterday I was birding in a wildlife refuge and this huge dog without a leash and no owner in sight ran up to me and started barking at me, and getting closer and closer. Literally thought it was going to pounce. It had a collar, but no owner in sight. I'm not afraid of dogs, but I am afraid of any large animal that's angry and has the capacity to knock me over. After about five minutes of this dog growling at me and me trying to calm it down, its owner finally showed up, and was like......"oh haha I thought he was yelling at an animal." As if it would have been normal and fine for the dog to attack the wildlife.
It's a wildlife refuge. There are endangered species that live there. Dogs are required to be leashed at the park...you know why?? Precisely because dogs like to go after birds and other small creatures.
This isn't even the first time I've dealt with unleashed dogs....
I was at a beach, collecting seashells and birding, when a huge pitbull ran up to me growling. Thankfully it didn't attack and just sniffed my bag, but the owner was just a speck in the horizon, didn't care that their dog was running around doing god knows what. The dog could have gone after the wildlife, too.
People letting their cats roam free outdoors 🤝 People that let their dogs run around without a leash:
Endangering their pet, the environment, and other people with their stupid choices
Keep your dog on a fucking leash