Dogs 'at large' cause problems

In the wake of The Nugget's story on mule deer fawns last week, urging people to leave "abandoned" fawns alone, a woman called the paper to report that part of the problem was caused by actions she had just witnessed: someone's dog was chasing a fawn.

She identified a problem that plagues Deschutes County.

With the population of the county soaring to over 158,000 people, and an estimated 20,000-plus dogs running around (many of them unlicensed), it's no wonder mule deer fawns have problems surviving.

"It happens a lot out near Sisters this time of year," Trooper Hayes, of the Oregon State Police Wildlife Division in Bend, said. "We issued several citations to dog owners recently and also had to destroy four of five dogs as well."

Even though there is a very strict county ordinance that states very clearly it is against the law to allow dogs to run loose without control by the owner, dogs still run loose.

The code, 6.08.015. Definition At Large, reads:

"At large" means a dog or other animal found off the premises of the owner or keeper while the dog or animal is not under the complete control of a capable person."

Lt. Gary Decker of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department is the supervisor of what the county calls, Field Law Enforcement Technicians; the people who respond to dog complaints. They find that the majority of dogs they come into contact with causing problems - barking excessively, chasing livestock, chasing wildlife, and otherwise making a nuisance of themselves, are not licensed, and the owner is hard to find.

Last year, the sheriff's office had to take over 600 dogs to the Humane Society shelter, dogs that were "at large," causing problems.

"When you look at it closely," Lt. Decker said, "the dog problem is caused by irresponsible owners, not the dogs."

In large cities like Portland or Los Angeles, most dog-owners comply with the law and license their dogs, keep them on a leash and make sure their pets are behaving within the confines of the law and good manners. That is not the case in Deschutes County.

An example is a dog-owner who recently pulled up to Tumalo Reservoir, dropped the tailgate of his pickup and out came two dogs. One was licensed, the other was not, and one of the dogs immediately began hunting around the sagebrush and bitterbrush, nose to the ground. Suddenly it leaped on something and pawed it into the soil.

"He's a lizard dog," the owner said proudly. "He goes right after 'em every chance he gets."

When the owner was reminded that lizards, cottontail rabbits and other small indigenous wildlife like them are protected by state law his response was, "What do you want me to do, shoot the dog?"

Perhaps the dog should be on a leash?

That suggestion was greeted with a look of contempt: "Leash? You gotta be kiddin'! He's a good dog..."

Problem dogs can be reported to the Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch line at 693-6911.