Most municipalities have tough leash laws, but most dog attacks come from those that run free.
Mike Massey's boxer, "Heinz", is doing a lot better three days after, he says, the neighbors' great danes attacked Heinz.
“Just as I passed the next house two great danes came from around the corner out into the middle of the road [and] met us,” Massey said. “The dogs immediately get into a fight.”
Massey said it took several minutes for he and another neighbor to pull the dogs apart.
The left side of the Heinz’s face was covered in blood.
Massey's upset because neither of the great danes were on leashes when the attack happened.
“The great dane latched on to [Heinz’s] neck for about a solid three to four minutes as we tried to get them apart,” Massey recalled.
Massey's address is in Myrtle Beach but he technically lives on county land in Carolina Forest.
Horry County rules don’t' require dogs be on leashes.
A HorryC ounty public nuisance law does say, however, that owners must have control over their dogs.
“Animals must be kept on or under the owners control or on their property at all times,” said Kelly Bonome, former Animal Control agent and current Horry County Animal Care Center Operations Manager.
Inside the city land in Myrtle Beach there is a law that says if someone brings their dog out in public it must be on a leash.
Many people bring their dogs out to public dog parks where its okay for the dogs to run free.
“[The dog park] has the separation of a small dog and a large dog area is really good to know so this way if he doesn't want to interact with the big dogs he doesn't have to,” said Candice Shrader who brought her small dog Rio to the park Tuesday.
There are two dog parks inMyrtle Beach- one behind the Market Common on Mallard Lake Drive and one off 62nd Avenue North near the YMCA.
Surfside Beach also has a small park that requires a ten dollar registration fee before you can use it.
Horry County officials suggest Massey file a police report if he ever has problems with his neighbor’s dogs again.
Massey thinks the county should make leashes mandatory.
In South Carolina, if your dog bites a person or another dog, you are liable for the damages.
This includes if the bite happens in your own home.
South Carolina is a bit different than a number of other states as the law says that if a person provokes your dog you are not liable for an attack.
(SCNow - April 3, 2012)
