Aggressive Off Leash Dogs Spark Resident Concerns

It seems to be a perennial issue. And it is biting again.

The City of Rye requires all dogs to be on leash and under control of their owners. The two exceptions where off leash dogs are permitted are limited early morning hours in a designated area of Rye Town Park and during the winter months on Westchester County’s Playland Beach. People are known to flaunt this rule, sparking sometimes unsafe and fearful situations for residents and their four legged family members.

Two recent incidents were described by residents at the City Council’s “open mic” on Wednesday. Local residents Kristine Augenthaler and Mari Moerschen detailed separate, unrelated incidents and appealed to the City Council to look at better enforcement of leash laws to prevent real harm to people and dogs.

Moerschen detailed an encounter she and her 10 pound shih tzu Maxie endured the evening on January 1st while walking (on leash) on County property towards the back of the Playland parking lot area.

“My dog and I were attacked viciously by another dog,” said Moerschen. “Maxi, my dog, was on a leash. The other dog, later identified as a yellow Labrador named Simba, was off leash. From about 200 feet away, Simba charged at Maxi, growling and barking. Panicked, I picked up Maxie and tried to walk away, but it was too late. Simba bit my left arm, dragged me to the ground and attacked Maxi. Simba grabbed Maxi’s neck in his jaws and tossed him around, like a chew toy. I heard noises from Maxi that I have never heard before. It sounded like a human crying. After quite a while, the elderly owner managed to make his way over to me from afar and gained partial control of Simba.”

Simba stopped attacking Maxi and I immediately started checking him for bleeding, not feeling the pain yet from my own wound on my upper arm. Through three layers of winter clothing and a winter coat I was wearing, I was bleeding, my flesh was lifted off my upper arm, where Simba had clamped down and fried the nerve [inaudible] almost completely on my tricep… This was an absolutely terrifying and painful experience.”

Augenthaler encountered a situation last Saturday afternoon on the gravel path along Oakland Beach in Rye Town Park, when walking with her two sons and their golden retriever Skye. She described a situation where a woman and her off leash dog that appeared to be a rottweiler type mixed breed dog called Josie became very aggressive and attacked, biting her dog in the face. Later she realized the bite had broken the skin of her dog, and she received guidance from her vet to monitor the wound. Augenthaler said when she asked the other owner to leash her dog, the owner called her a “Karen” and suggested she go ahead and call the police.

Both residents expressed levels of frustration on police response, lack of enforcement and the sometimes brazen attitude of dog owners allowing their dogs off leash. The issue seems to be compounded by swirling jurisdictions: Rye Town Park is protected by Rye PD and administered by the Town of Rye (the town runs the park) and Playland including the boardwalk and the area stretching back to Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary is protected by the Westchester County Police (dogs are not permitted in the sanctuary at any time).

“I think the issue is a real one,” said Mayor Josh Cohn, after listening to the two residents. He asked City Manager Greg Usry to discuss the issue and what can be done with Public Safety Commissioner Mike Kopy. Usry explained the leash law, and the difficulties around enforcement – both because of the City vs. County jurisdictions, and the fact Rye PD might typically have four or five officers on duty at any time, with responsibility for many things across all six square miles of the City.

In response to an inquiry, Rye PD had they received six calls in 2024 involving dog bite incidents. A department statement said “We have not received a lot of complaints about dogs being unleashed while out in public areas. A reminder though if you are outside of your home in a public area (walking on the sidewalk, street or park) you must have your dog on a leash unless you are in a designated off leash area per the City Code.”

The fine for an off leash dog in the City of Rye is $50. It does not escalate for multiple offenses.

Have you had an experience with aggressive off leash dogs? Leave a comment or contact us.

See the recent column by retired Rye City Court Judge Joe Latwin Holding Court: Good Boy, Bad Doggy.

Watch the residents present their concerns at the City Council: