Highlands and Cashiers are among the safest places in the country to live.
Anyone who routinely reads the police reports in this publication understands that.
With the exception of minor car accidents, traffic violations, and a handful of misdemeanors here and there the list offenses is usually fairly short. Violent crime is almost unheard of.
So, when the news of an assault that sent two men to the hospital broke last week, it was immediately the talk of the town.
The incident began as a dispute over two dogs, one leashed and one not, on 5th Street. While the town’s “leash law zone” doesn’t extend the entirety of 5th Street, it’s a matter that the town board will undoubtedly look into in the future.
Perhaps the easiest way to edit the animal control ordinance would be to make it less verbose and make it so all domestic animals must be on a leash unless on the property of their respective owner.
Having a “leash law zone” is confusing because it’s not marked in town, only on a map in the code of ordinances, and anyone who may be visiting Highlands is unlikely to know the leash law zone even exists. It’s much simpler to say all pets must be on a leash in public.
Even if the town board decides against amending the current leash law, it’s probably a “best practice” at this point to fall back on common courtesy in public situations. If you want to take your dog off your property, keep it on a leash or otherwise properly restrained in a vehicle.
Anyone who wants to take their dog to a place where it can run free and possibly interact with other dogs and their owners, is encouraged to use the Highlands Dog Park located behind the rec center on 4th Street.
What happened last week on 5th Street was completely avoidable, and cooler head should have prevailed, but they didn’t, and two men suffered serious injuries as a result. It’s time we all do a little better job looking out for both our pets and our neighbors to avoid future incidents.