A recent incident involving an off-leash dog has led to concern about community safety and compliance in Murray. 

Dog attacks in Salt Lake County have been getting more frequent, posing a safety risk to residents and their pets. 

According to Murray animal laws, the owner of the dog is responsible for their pet attacking or chasing someone in public. They are required to keep their pets on a 6-foot leash while they are outside of their property. In the case of an attack, owners are at risk of facing prosecution and will be liable for any damages to another person or property. 

The Salt Lake County Animal Services have reported an influx of calls related to aggressive dogs and attacks, stressing the importance of following leash laws and keeping an eye on your pets. 

In the few months of 2024, Salt Lake County Animal Services responded to 586 calls about dogs being off leash or without their owner. They have also responded to 116 reports of animal attacks so far this year. 

“Leash laws are so important in city spaces owing to inherent risks that dogs are not able to consider,” said Karl Carpenter, field manager for Salt Lake County Animal Services. “They are not able to communicate as people do and sometimes resort to biting for a number of reasons, such as, lack of training, fear, aggression.” 

A Murray resident was walking her two dogs when another dog ran across the street and attacked her dogs. Maryanne Shew took to social media to plead with others to leash their dogs after hers sustained injuries from the attack. She said it’s a situation she finds herself in often. 

“Just walking around the neighborhood, I encounter many dogs without leashes that come up to us,” Shew said. “I don’t want any dogs to hurt my dogs, and I don’t want my dogs to hurt anyone else’s dogs.” 

She said the owner of the other dog was able to run over and pull her dog away from Shew’s two dogs, but not before it did some damage. Shew said one of her dogs needed to be taken to the veterinarian and ended up needing stitches. 

There have been multiple other posts on social media about dogs not being leashed in Murray areas. Many people have been pleading with their neighbors and other residents to listen to the signs and keep their dogs leashed when in public. Each encounter spoken about happened at a park with visible signs stating dogs had to be leashed at all times. 

Carpenter said leash laws help create a safe environment for residents and a safer, cleaner place for animal residents. He said violating the leash laws can lead to a criminal citation or fines. Many cases have been classified as a class B misdemeanor, which has a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to 180 days in jail. 

“Safety is our No. 1 priority,” Carpenter said. “For the public and the animals, one of the worst scenarios possible is an animal attack. Animal attacks can be devastating to the victim and the family.” 

Carpenter said the Salt Lake County Animal Services view on unleashed animals is not that people don’t know how to train their animals. He said it doesn’t mean they think residents’ pets are going to be a problem, but that it’s important to remember that not every walk with your pet is going to be the same. 

“Your dog is not the responsibility of others,” Carpenter said. “Just because you trust your dog and are comfortable does not mean that others are.” λ