In Nob Hill's Huntington Park, a 12-pound poodle named Dijon was left lifeless after being attacked by a larger, off-leash dog last month. As the Examiner reports today, Dijon and his owner Kim Ferguson were out for one of the poodle's daily walks in the leash-only dog park when a roughly 60-pound dog ran at them, "grabbed Dijon in its mouth and began shaking him like a rag doll," and knocking over Mrs. Ferguson in the process. While Ferguson rushed Dijon to the vet, the owner of the larger dog apparently left the scene.

As Animal Care and Control Officer John denny told the Examiner, it's possible the second dog's owner was unsure what to do after the harrowing situation, but authorities are hoping he or she comes forward to make sure their pet gets properly rehabilitated. Even in fatal cases like this it is rare for a dog to be put down for killing another pup, but Animal Care and Control would still recommend muzzling the dog at all times and require the owner to keep it leashed at all times and attend training classes. Or as a representative of the local SPCA explained, "You are obligated to keep your dog under control, especially if there is a bite history. Most dogs are great at giving signals, and humans are great at ignoring signals."

The February 26th incident is the latest to shine a light on the debate over letting dogs run untethered in San Francisco's parks. While 28 of the city's 225 green spaces have designated play areas, Huntington Park is not one of them. Unfortunately, Animal Care and Control doesn't have the resources to be policing leashes in every park in town.

[SFEx]