Large billboards spread out over Metro Detroit this summer are promoting a message some pet owners wouldn’t think twice about: Keep your dogs leashed.

But the number of unleashed dogs in public spaces in some communities, which could cause potentially devastating issues if a dog isn’t properly trained, is prompting local officials to step up enforcement of dog ordinances that require dogs to be leashed.

Detroit’s General Services Department has launched a campaign that includes six billboards and several social media posts. The digital billboards read “Keep your dog tagged and leashed.” West Bloomfield has placed signs on trails behind its civic complex that encourage residents to keep their dogs leashed and under the owner’s control or they may be ticketed.

Detroit’s campaign, which launched last month and runs through the summer, comes amid recent recent fatal dog attacks that have called for stricter enforcement of Detroit Animal Control’s dog ordinance. At least two people have been killed by loose dogs in the city since October 2023.

The city’s ordinance, which isn’t new, requires owners keep their dogs on leashes when out and take precautions to prevent them from escaping their homes. State law also requires dogs to be leashed in public areas.

Crystal Perkins, director of the Detroit General Services Department, said the campaign, which aims to reinforce the city’s dog ordinance, came about after discussions within the city of a need to push responsible pet ownership.

“As the weather warms up, people are outdoors more and spend more time outside with their dogs,” Perkins said. “We want to remind people that it is the law that the dogs are supposed to be on a leash…. Most people don’t realize that in Detroit, that is a law on the book.”

The city’s dog ordinance also requires Rabies vaccinations for dogs, the purchase of a license to own a dog older than four months, and leashing dogs when they are not on their owner’s property, including at parks. Similarly, Michigan’s Dog Law of 1919 also states that to own a dog 6 months or older, the dog must be licensed and wear a state-approved collar at all times, and except for designated working dogs, all dogs must be leashed whenever in public and cannot be left unattended.

Perkins said the issue of unleashed dogs in Detroit isn’t about stray dogs, but more about negligence and irresponsibility by dog owners when caring for their pets.

“Over the last year, all of the maulings that occurred have been with dogs that are owned by residents of the city, not stray dogs,” she said. “…These are dogs that are someone’s loved one and extended part of their family, that have been allowed to be in a situation where they’re either not contained in a fence or leashed.”

Why dog training matters

Myron Golden, the manager of community engagement at Michigan Humane Detroit, has worked as an animal cruelty investigator in the city for the past 7 years.

He said vicious dogs are a result of inexperienced owners taking it into their own hands to train their pets as “guard” dogs, reinforcing dangerous behaviors like biting and attacking through treats and encouragement. He said a big issue with some owners who are focused on training their pets to be guard dogs is that many end up neglecting to make sure that their dogs are properly secured in their homes, leashed and unable to escape.

“I had a situation recently where a dog tried to bust through the front door and maul me, and the owner rewarded the dog, told him he was a good boy and gave him a treat because he tried to attack me, and that’s what she wanted the dog to be,” Golden said. “…Unfortunately, what happens a lot of the time is these dogs might break out of the home or get out of the yard, and when the dog is running loose through the city, it will attack another person or animal, because it was not trained and has only been taught be be aggressive.”

Michigan Humane Detroit offers temperament training for dogs, educational sessions on how to avoid training dogs to be aggressive, and a team of behaviorists that work on socializing pets. Additionally, the Humane Society takes does home visits and wellness checks on pets.

Benefits of allowing dogs off leash

Reports from several cities around Michigan show that irresponsible pet ownership has become an increasing issue. Last May, a Farmington Hills man was mauled to death by the family’s dog in his home. And in West Bloomfield, a group of residents regularly takes their pack of dogs on walks around the city’s trails, unleashed.

Dale Young, a deputy police chief with the West Bloomfield Police Department, said he wasn’t aware of issues with unleashed dogs in the township. But several signs are posted on trails behind the township’s civic center on Walnut Lake Road, telling walkers that pets must be on a maximum six-foot leash and under the control of the owner. “Violators may be ticketed,” the signs read in red letters.

“We want the public to be aware to keep their dogs under control and that they should be leashed… we want to do that for the safety of all of the parties involved,” Young said.

Averi Gibas is the owner and head trainer of Unleashed, a dog-training facility based in Chesaning, in Saginaw County. She said for properly trained and socialized dogs, there are benefits to having off-leash freedom in designated areas such specific hiking trails or nature parks.

“I do believe that leashes have a place. When driving through a busy neighborhood, I definitely believe that all dogs should be leashed regardless if they’re trained or not,” Gibas said. “But when it comes to having off-leash freedom, I do believe that it allows the dog to explore the world through their noses, build confidence and just let them be dogs while still keeping them safe and under control.”

Making sure ‘everyone is safe’

Back in Detroit, leaving your dog unleashed can result in a public nuisance violation, punishable by a $500 fine, a 90-day imprisonment or both. Perkins said officials want to make sure all residents can enjoy being outdoors, pet owner or not.

“We want to make sure that all of our residents and visitors are able to experience and enjoy being outside,” Perkins said. “We want to make sure that everyone is safe, and that means that everyone should be doing their part. … It’s to keep fellow citizens and residents to our city safe.”