Posted on 05/09/2025 6:05:28 PM PDT by george76
Police, animal control seek to address leash law violations..
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The recent deaths of a cyclist and a beloved family pet, both the result of off-leash dogs, have renewed calls for greater accountability.
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A Durango man who fell off his bike and later died from his injuries while apparently trying to avoid a loose dog on the Animas River Trail has reignited calls for pet owners to leash their animals in public spaces.
The collision involving the bicyclist and off-leash dog occurred about 2:30 p.m. March 12 on a section of the river trail near the skate park and Schneider Park.
Steven Miller, 76, fell off his bike and hit his head. He died two weeks later from his injuries.
While Durango police have not determined whether the dog or cyclist initiated the collision, officers emphasized that the presence of an off-leash dog was the central issue.
“I just want to be absolutely clear that if anybody tries to make the argument that this is the cyclist’s fault, it was not,” said Durango Police Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop. “This was a dog-at-large issue, and that is what we’re trying to resolve.”
Witnesses said the dog’s owner initially yelled at Miller before realizing how seriously he was injured. The dog’s owner then left the scene, saying he was going to get help, but never returned.
Police have not been able to identify a suspect. The dog was described by witnesses as a medium-sized blond Labrador or pit bull terrier.
Durango police have kept the death and its circumstances under wraps, in part because the investigation remains active and out of respect for Miller’s widow, Laura Miller.
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But Miller’s death has forced the city, police department and animal control to reconsider their approach to leash law enforcement.
“It is a problem. It’s a problem every year. But it seems like it’s getting worse, because it seems like we’re getting more people and more dogs,” said Durango Police Chief Brice Current.
In addition to Miller’s death, multiple incidents of off-leash dogs attacking other dogs have been reported in the past several weeks.
A post on the social media site Nextdoor said a Jack Russel terrier required numerous stitches after being attacked by an off-leash dog last weekend on Animas Village Drive. A week earlier, a dog died after a similar attack on the river trail.
A close friend of the owners of the deceased pet, Melani Woodruff, confirmed the death. She said the owners are devastated by the loss – a tragedy she said was easily preventable.
Woodruff owns two dogs and said she is no stranger to the widespread disregard many Durango pet owners show for leash laws.
She no longer walks her dogs in the parks by the river because she encountered at least one off-leashed dog every time.
“It only takes a few seconds for a dog to be killed,” Woodruff said.
She posted about the attack on Nextdoor and received more than 100 comments from Durango residents expressing similar concerns and questioning the city’s response.
“The situation is that our enforcement is not enforced,” Woodruff said. “Our enforcers don’t enforce. And so that leads to nonchalant, arrogant attitudes.”
City Code says it is unlawful for dogs to be in public parks, playgrounds, trails, recreational facilities or city-owned open spaces without a leash, which must not exceed 6 feet in length.
the owner sounds like he knew he was screwed as he said he’d come back and hadn’t yet.
I’d say the blame is more with the entitled dog owner who needs to stop thinking he and his pet are so special that they don’t have to obey the laws.
Kindly direct your comment to hawhill. He was the one who suggested it; I was just replying to his post.
Riding a bike slowly and cautiously and wearing a helmet. A near -0- chance of dying from a fall. He was not wearing a helment, going really fast, or his landing spot was not on a flat spot.
Awww, logic finally. It was an accident, life with all risks removed. That is the libtards wet dream.
lol
I am 5 years younger, and I can get the bike up in the 15mph zone on a casual ride. That feels like a bat out of hell if you fall.
Use a heavier pull on the rear brake, and you must have been going like a bat out of hell.
I’m 74 and know what you mean. So, for a poster to say he was going fast means the poster didn’t read before commenting.
I saw a kid on a moped going maybe 15 mph fall and hit his head on the curb. Cracked his skull like a walnut. I never found out what happened to him. But even stationary small falls and crack the head badly. Especially for a guy in his late 70s.
Irrelevant in my mind.
Pedestrian trails and bike trails should be separate.
I’ve never put my dogs on a leash. They new the property boundaries and stayed there. You come onto mtheproperty then you get what you get.
They wouldn’t fit in a purse, kiddie cart etc because they aren’t dogs they’re cats that yip and they never went to a restaurant, pub or brewery etc. They stayed home loving life. Never had one for emotional support.. those people should be institutionalized.
I miss the dogs I had. They had long good lives.
Hope the dog is okay.
or maybe they have well trained dogs?
Our lab/doodle has been trained since a pup as service dog. When he is in the vest and working he stays on a short leash arms length from me, that’s in restaurants, stores, church, wherever. But when he’s not in vest and not working, no leash and no vest. When we go for walks I put him on an electronic collar and carry a leash just in case we run into a Karen, but he gets to enjoy a little varmint hunting, pointing, and chasing or he catches a soft frisbee in the nearby soccer field.
With actual bad people running lose who should be on a leash, I find it annoying that we waste resources on stupid crap like worrying about how people walk their pets. And plenty of people who walk leased dogs still haven’t the decency to pick up their poop.
No blame. Just curious why authorities were shouting that it was a loose dog problem with zero other information provided. Reminds me of Biden admin distractions. Would be the simplest thing to add more info.
Sorry consider it redirected
“Feel sorry for the dog’s family.”
Stupid should hurt.
“Maybe the dude liked to run over dogs on his bike and this time it killed him.”
I’m sure that was the case.
“Witnesses said the dog’s owner initially yelled at Miller before realizing how seriously he was injured. The dog’s owner then left the scene, saying he was going to get help, but never returned.
Cowardly a-hole.”
Yep - but can’t say i’m surprised.
“I live in Durango and am a Nam vet. I met him casually at the VA Clinic here in Durango. He was a good man.”
A vet died because of some a$$hole’s off leash mutt.
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