Denver Ready To Crack Down On Off-Leash Dogs

DENVER (CBS4) - The city of Denver is getting ready to crack down on people who let their dogs roam without a leash.

The warmer weather means more people are spending time in parks and open space, and that's when complaints about nuisance dogs goes up as well. Now dog owners should expect to see a lot of animal control officers out and about.

The enforcement will step up beginning June 1, but part of the enforcement includes letting dog owners know about dog parks where they can be off-leash.

Shari Whitney is a professional dog walker and manages to keep 10 different dogs on 10 different leashes with lines untangled and under control -- abiding by Denver's leash law.

"For the most part I think people are pretty responsible about it or have well-trained dogs that listen pretty good," Whitney said. "I have had a couple of instances, but that's always been in private neighborhoods where people are just letting their dogs out front."

"We just want to give a reminder to everybody that there are people that are trying to enjoy the space and we want it to be safe for everyone and remind everyone of the leash law, and that we're partnering up with parks and rec and the Denver Police Department in a joint effort to make sure that we can provide safety for everybody," said Aaron McSpadden, animal control officer said.

McSpadden was out Tuesday giving a friendly warning to dog owners who had their dogs off-leash, reminding them of the law and the upcoming stepped up enforcement.

Dog owner Laruen Voorhees says she has mixed feelings about more enforcement because her dog Bently has so much fun when he's playing off leash.

"I get it. I think it's a good thing to monitor because my dog, the other dog wasn't even off-leash, got attacked by another dog and it was really scary," Voorhees said. "But it's hard. You want to be able to let your dog roam free."

The enforcement will come with fines -- tickets are $80. Repeat offenders are fined $150 for the second time and $300 for the third time.

There are 10 dog parks in the city of Denver. Get a list through the Denver Parks and Recreation Department website.