Kuldīga resident speaks out against dog owners who skip the leash
A Kuldīga municipality resident describes repeated encounters with neighbors who walk their dogs without a leash and urges others to report such violations to municipal police.
Repeated incidents next door
A resident of Kuldīga municipality has published an opinion piece describing several run-ins with neighbors who let their dogs roam without a leash, despite clear rules against it. In the latest incident, a dog she considers to have an aggressive owner suddenly appeared right outside her gate.
What the rules require
Cabinet Regulation No. 411 on the welfare and protection of pets, adopted two years ago, requires dogs to be leashed whenever they are outside their owner's property, with exceptions for designated dog parks or public areas approved by local governments. Kuldīga Municipal Council's binding regulation No. 6/2025 further allows dogs off-leash only under direct owner supervision, and only outside towns and villages or within forest and farmland areas at the edges of settlements.
A pattern of carelessness
The author recounts multiple examples: a neighbor who lets his large dog run free alongside his bicycle, a woman who let her dog loose near a children's playground while distracted by her phone, and another neighbor whose dog repeatedly escapes through a gate left open after cars pass through, sometimes lingering near her own gate. She has reported each incident to the municipal police.
Safety concerns
The piece references the recent, serious dog attack at a Carnikava kindergarten, as well as the author's own childhood experience of being bitten by a friend's dog. She argues that even a well-trained animal can behave unpredictably, since owners cannot read their pet's intentions. She says she will keep reporting violations and encourages other residents to do the same, hoping it can prevent accidents and push irresponsible owners toward change.
