Should there be child leash laws?

[NobodyHere]

We saw that this past week an unleashed child got into a Gorilla pen. But if the kid had had a leash on him, then none of this would've happened! There would be no reason for a child to go missing out in public. This is for the child's own good and for the good of zoo animals everywhere.


(Yes this post is sarcastic)

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. If that kid's parents had been doing their job, it would not have happened.

The parents should be charged with child endangerment and children removed until the parents have received sufficient education to take care of children.
I began taking my children to the zoo at 3 months. they have never been hurt there.

[pnwmom]

6. So this didn't happen to you. Congrats. But since you are human and had multiple

children you couldn't have had 100% of attention on all of your children at once, in 100% of all situations.

Somewhere along the line you narrowly escaped some kind of disaster and you are just blissfully unaware of it.

[Agnosticsherbet]

8. No, I and my wife kept an eye on our children.

We took the responsibility seriously.

A law to put a leash on children is ridiculous.

[hollysmom]

2. I think there should be free parent education courses but that is because of some people are just

pitiful parents

Before there were dog parks, I had just acquired a new shelter dog and wanted to work with training so I went to a park that had only one entrance and exit on an early morning. It was a park in an abandoned quarry, so it was below most of the land in the area with high rock walls and few trees so I could see no one was there. took her off leash and began to train the dog. A woman saw me there and sent her 3 year old into the park to pet the dog - not calling out, just sent he kid down about 30 feet of uneven steep rock stairs at my back/ I was caught by surprise when the dog ran toward the child since she was behind me. I did get it to stop before the child was reached, but who sends a small child to pet a strange dog in a park like that? Oh there was also an unfenced stream through the quarry park that had an 8 foot drop the child could have fallen in. when I brought the child back to the mother I asked her what was she thinking, she was way to far away to stop anything from happening to her child, and so many ways that kid could have been hurt - the mother said she was teaching the child to be independent and the little girl wanted to pet my dog. Now this was a very child friendly dog or would not have been out there, but she was a big dog and knocked over my 5 year old niece by wagging her tail too vigorously once. This was not the only dangers to this child, there were geese nesting and they can be vicious. I talked to the mother but I think what I said went in one year and out the other, so in this case I think the mother should have been leashed. No common sense there at all.

I am not for helicopter parenting, but no small child gets to walk near traffic without having a hand to hold. Or should approach a strange dog without asking permission first - I knew my dog would not harm the child, (I know you can never tell, but this dog melted around kids and they would climb all over her even though I never left her alone with a small child and managed 15 years without nipping at anyone at all, including my ex husband - screaming, throwing things) kids can be independent without you putting them in danger and this was not a child friendly park. I loved it and it was slightly inaccessible, would hate to see all parks have to be made childproof.

Don't even start of the parents that yell at me for intercepting children running to pet the geese during nesting season, I feel like I need to be a park guard sometimes when I should be just watching my dog. "don't touch my child" - Geese are nasty flea ridden creatures. They are not ducks.

[nadine_mn]

21. I think the fact that another adult was present contributed

to the mom letting her kid come to try to pet your dog. Some parents assume that everyone else is going to watch their kids too. "Of course it's ok to let little Emily run down into a quarry to pet a strange dog, there is another adult there to supervise"

It seems like once parents are out in a public place with other adults around, they just abdicate their parental responsibility. Just let 'em loose and expect others to watch out for the kids. Taking the "It takes a village" mentality a little too far.

Your experience really resonated with me as a child free pet owner, I am amazed at how often parents will let their kids come running up to my large dogs when we are out walking. Fortunately, our dogs have been friendly. When I have told parents to come get their child away from my dog - they get pissy with me. Kids are unpredictable - they shove their hands in dogs faces, pet too hard, and can get a little grabby - all a recipe for a dog bite...and the dog would be the one to blame.

But I also see the "well other adults are present, so its ok to just let my kid roam free" mentality in other places - the gym, stores, museums, etc.

It is easy to say as a someone without kids but I can't imagine doing that myself. Not because of fear that my kid would get snatched or hurt, but because I would be so worried that my kid would do something obnoxious to upset someone else.

[hollysmom]

22. I do not have children either , but I had brothers 14 years younger than me

so guess who watched them most of the time. and I had a 5 year old niece live with me one unemployed summer where her parents were both drunk and had to sober up before I would return her. not to mention the many times I cared for my nieces and nephews for weeks at a time when there were family crisis. I did have issues watching two close in age, but then I just stopped taking them places where I did not fell confident to watch them all the time and took them to playgrounds instead of the beach, etc. I have just accepted parents are going to scream at me when I try top help them, I was at a bay and a small child wandered into the water while it's parents were doing I don't know what, I grabbed her hand and walked her back to her blanket and got told to stay away from their child and that I should not talk to anyone's child Or the time I found a 5 year old wandering on the street breaking bottles in the road at 2 am. I took him back home and got threatened by a drunk man who was busy beating up his wife. When I got home I called the police, they called back to say there was no problem. If I had called the police when I had the child, they could have done something, my mistake.

and this is why I would like a test for people to be parents.

[shrike]

27. Something similar happened to me. But it wasn't Mom's fault.

The kid was just seized with the desire to pet my dog. Quick as a wink, he came toward us. I grabbed my dog by the collar, told her to sit and let him pet her. It was really no one's fault. Kids are so fast.

[Laffy Kat]

3. When my #1 son was a toddler he got away from me at the Denver Zoo.

He jumped right into a fountain. He was never out of my sight but he sure had a head start. Was it my fault? Absolutely.

[uponit7771]

14. No, it wasn't... shit is going to happen with kids its not acceptable to point fingers like that

[dembotoz]

4. kids are deceptively fast sneaky creatures with no logic or common sense

and somehow all 3 are now over 21

could things have gone bad any number of times that if were captured on video i would be in jail for neglect.

not a bad parent but just lucky

[pnwmom]

7. Like you

I am not a bad parent but just lucky -- and very grateful.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027871031

[uponit7771]

15. +1

[kentauros]

5. I was going to rec your post until I saw

[font color="deeppink"](Yes this post is sarcastic)[/font]

and I thought, 'damn!'

Because, yes, there should be child leash laws, especially in places where the child can endanger itself and/or others (such as in restaurants.)


No, I'm not being sarcastic

[Chan790]

9. In the coffeehouse where I used to work...

I put up a sign that said "Unsupervised children will be given espresso, chocolate and noise-makers. Repeat offenders will be given scissors and made to run laps."

At first people thought I was joking. I wasn't, I'm just an asshole.

[kentauros]

11. Naw, you're not an asshole

There was a photo of sign posted online in a similar type of place stating "Unsupervised Children Will Be Given A Puppy." Some had then written on it to include "And A Drum" and then there was a post-it note stating "And Taught to Swear!" I love that last bit, as it falls fully under the 1st Amendment.

As a customer, I can teach them to swear, too

[dilby]

10. People who want to leash children also complain about helicopter parents.

I mean come on.

[Quackers]

18. Child leashes + helicopter parenting =

[rug]

12. Since 1975.

[uponit7771]

13. Seems acceptable if the child and mother are a PoC for the most part

[Quackers]

16. No. Now shock colors on the other hand...........

(Yes, this reply is sarcastic)

[lancer78]

17. Might be sarcastic

but i got one for my kid if we went anywhere dangerous (Sea World, Zoo, Grand Canyon)

[Quantess]

19. A few children need leashes in public.

Let's put the stigma to an end. If you need to leash your child, do it, for his/her own safety and peace of mind for you and those in your surroundings. It isn't bad parenting, it's responsible parenting, if your child really needs to be on a harness.

[Laffy Kat]

20. Once I saw a mom at the Hamburg, Germanyairport.

The poor woman was pushing a toddler in a stroller, had a baby in a Snugglie on her chest, and another little one one a leash. She was also carrying a backpack and diaper bag. She was obviously on her way to a gate to catch a flight. The terminal was almost shoulder to shoulder. What else could she have done but use a leash for the second toddler? I really felt for her, although she looked totally together. She had it figured out.

[GOLGO 13]

23. Leash the Children & Free the Gorillas!

Primate Lives Matter!

[trueblue2007]

24. yes, YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[leftyladyfrommo]

25. I wish they would outlaw children.

But I don't like kids. Never wanted any of my own.

[NobodyHere]

26. This would certainly solve world overpopulation

[GliderGuider]

28. Same here.

And I speak both from personal dyspepsia and out of concern for the well-being of the planet.

The single best thing that people can do for the world is never to have children.

[tabasco]

29. I'm all for it in places like zoos.

Those harness things with the leash would prevent a lot of stupid shit happening.

[haikugal]

30. My mother put one of those things on me when I was little...

I was 2 or three and I can tell you I felt huge shame at having to wear that thing. I had no understanding of any need or relation to my behavior, just immense shame in public.

I would NEVER use a leash. If you can't parent your child stay home or better still, don't have them. We have good birth control now and abortion if there is an accident. We need to lower the birth rate all over the world anyway.

I have avoided reading about this episode of stupidity so all I can say is I'm sorry a magnificent Gorilla died.