Owners find lost, injured dog two years later, in another state
29 August 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Starting Monday, a new rule is in place that states all dogs must be on a leash when on county property with the exception of dog parks.
This rule comes after a bicycle club made their voices heard at a Topeka City Council meeting earlier this month following an incident when one of its members was attacked by a dog. Members of the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club (KVBC) are pleased with the new rule, but now they tell 27 News it’s a wait and see, and all they can do is hope it is enforced. 27 News reported earlier this month, back in June, a member of the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club was attacked by a homeless person’s dog while riding their bike along the Shunga and Landon Trail.
Now, Shawnee County Commissioners have put a rule in place that’s similar to a city rule – stating all dogs must be on leash when on county property… with the exception of dog parks.
“This has been in the works for a few years now,” Shawnee County Parks and Recreation’s Cory Hollar said. “They’ve been wanting to get this passed and this instance was just a push to get this passed and it’s a level playing field with the city and the county now. We want the safety of our citizens, both dogs and humans, to be the number one priority.”
With the new rule in place, members of the KVBC are thankful.
“I would like to thank the city council and the county commissioners for hearing what our bike club had to say and what our concerns were,” Kim Teske, the biker who was bitten said. “And I think passing the leash law here in the county, in the city of Topeka, is a step in the right direction.”
While Teske believes it’s a step in the right direction, the KVBC Vice President Lynn Cress just hopes it’s enforced.
“The other side of this is enforcement and patrolling,” Cress said. “So as long as they keep patrolling the trail and are able to enforce the ordinance, or the leash law, and that gets taken care of, it’ll take a while to see if this really makes a difference.”
While overall, community members feel the new rule is a good thing, one dog owner says she can see the good and bad that can come with it.
“I would definitely say there’s some pros and cons to it,” dog owner Caitlin Roberts said. “Obviously, it could protect you and your dog staying on a leash because then you know they’ll be by your side at all times. If they are on leash, like if you’re on a bike or something you could always get tangled up and they could get injured, like I’ve heard a lot of stories [about that].”
Teske tells 27 News since the dog attacked her leg she’s doing much better. She still has a little problem with swelling and some doctor appointments lined up, but nonetheless, she’s doing better than she was before.