Please help make it safe to bicycle along the streets of Washington, D.C.
On January 20th, eleven-year-old Jayeon Simon was riding his bicycle in Washington, D.C., with his friend Daniel, when Jayeon was brutally attacked by a pack of three dogs. The boy suffered injuries to his arms and legs, and now has a fear of dogs.
The dogs' owner, who let the three vicious dogs run the streets off-leash and unsupervised, was fined $175.
Jayeon could have been killed had he not been rescued by a neighbor and a police officer, who happened to be nearby. The dogs' owner's punishment amounts to barely a slap on the wrist, for putting an innocent child's life in danger, and inflicting him with both physical and emotional scarring.
This is unacceptable.
Dog owners MUST be held accountable for the damage that their pets cause. Dog owners MUST NOT be permitted to let their dogs run the streets and terrorize children.
We ask that the District of Columbia impose severe punishment on owners of dogs at large. This is the only way to send a clear message that dogs at large will not be tolerated and to prevent such tragedies from occurring again. We ask that the District impose steep fines, jail time, and loss of dog ownership privileges on any dog owner who allows his or her dogs to roam the streets freely.
We ask that the District honor the safety and innocence of its children above the wallets of irresponsible and negligent dog owners. This will not only protect children, cyclists, pedestrians, and tourists, it will also protect dogs, who may be hit by cars or shot in self defense when they are permitted to run free off leash.
