Javelinas, rattlesnakes posing threat to pets in Anthem
Jul 13, 2012, 6:36 AM | Updated: 6:36 am
Leticia Ernst of Anthem said her dog, Tiger, has already had a close encounter with a javelina during one of their walks through her neighborhood.
“Having a javelina nipping at my dog was scary,” she said. “I thought the javelina was going to come toward me. If they’ll do that with a dog, I can’t imagine what they’ll do with the owner.”
Her friend’s dog was bitten by a rattlesnake. Now they want a community dog park to protect their pets because the current options are limited.
“We live near a park but we’re not allowed to have dogs off the leash because we’ll get a ticket for that,” said Ernst.
She said her only option is taking her dog to a park in New River, which is several miles from her home.
The Anthem Community Council said it is not opposed to a dog park. One of the council’s top priorities in 2012 is to create a master plan for the community to address ways to enhance Anthem.
During the process of creating the master plan, the council will seek community input through focus groups and a survey that lists, outlines and prioritizes additional capital projects that fall within the purview of the council.
The creation of a dog park would be a project considered for that plan.
Keeping dogs on a leash is a Maricopa County ordinance. The law prohibits dogs from running at large when not on the owner’s property within the unincorporated areas of the county. Anthem is located partly in Phoenix and partly in an unincorporated area of Maricopa County.
The Anthem Community Park, an area frequented by dog owners, lies within the unincorporated area of Maricopa County, therefore the ordinance is enforced by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
