Here is a good law: you can't tie your dog (or cat or bird or lizard) to a pole while you shop for organic kale. Or Doritos.

Nothing should EVER be tied to a pole, or anything...EVER! If we were tied up we'd act the same way. Let's just use common sense!

I think that every time a person renews a licence for an animal, they should be tested to see if they should actually have the right to own an animal or not. There are too many people that own more dog than they should. To own the big ones, people need to have proper training. I loved big dogs when I was capable of owning them, but right now, I personally can no longer own a dog, I realize that, so I own a bird and a fish. Some people aren't meant to own dogs.

I was walking along Barclay Street with my granddaughter and observed the woman trying to escape from the Rotweiler. She couldn't run fast enough. The dog quickly caught up with her, knocked her to the ground and bit.

This was an extremely frightening scene, one that I'll not soon forget. My instinct was to rush to the woman's aid. But, because I had a child with me I quickly realized that
I could not.

I hope that the victim will recover quickly and completely. I also hope that laws are strengthened so that the humane treatment of animals prohibits humans from leaving them unattended in public. Had such a law been in effect, a lSaturday morning at the Farmer's Market would have remained lovely.

The owner of the dog should have known the dog's temperment and therefore should have taken corrective action to muzzle the dog so that if it was able to extracate itself from the rope and it attacked an individual the dog could not bit the person. Clearly this was a violent dog and should not have been left unattended.

I agree that dog owners should know the temperment of their dog. There should also be a law and penalty to protect citizens caught in a situation such this!

If this had been a pittbull that did this they would have put the dog down. I don't want any dog to be put down.....It is clearly the owners fault that this happened, and my question is why did they only get a $200 fine? I don't think that, that was a justified punishment. They should also have to pay any doctor's and hospital bill that the victim HAS to pay for!

Are rottweilers going to be considered dangerous post facto, like pit bulls? Who are they going to sue now, since the owners landlord is now out of the equation? Organizers of the farmers market? The city (aka all of us) for owning the parking lot? Maybe the vendor themselves? See what kind of can of worms that dog judgement has made?

Why was the dog tied out?
Why was the dog unsupervised?
Why was it lunging at passers-by?
What were the people passing by doing? Was someone taunting the dog? Was the dog usually tied out solo and left to become more and more frustrated, fearful, worked up??
What was the dog's person thinking???
At best, neglect of the dog. At worst - what ended up happening.
Criminal?
We don't hold humans responsible for even the most reprehensible acts done to domesticated animals, despite good evidence that animal abuse is closely linked to domestic violence against intimate partners and kids.
I feel for the woman who was attacked and hope she recovers psychologically.
I fear for our dogs.
Sick of hearing about irresponsible owners.
Hoping this doesn't stoke the "dangerous breed" fire, though surely it will.
Baltimore Matt is right on. Yes, let's sue the farmers market. About as righteous as holding landlords responsible for their tenants' dogs.

Although the court ruling on Pitbulls seemed to defy logic, in this case (since the attack did not occur at an apartment complex or a landlord owned property) the individual who will be sued, and rightly so, is the dog owner. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be paying medical bills as well as pain and suffering.

More serious laws and punishment for owners that aren't responsible enough to own a dog. The breed is not the issue, it's the owner.

I thought dogs were no longer allowed at the farmers market.
At the first lunge the owner should have beedn tracked down,
The dog was given back to the owner,
Why was this done.
What excuses did he have?
If it were a pit bul it would of been shot.

Judy Berlin