How many dogs is too many? Ursula says commercial walkers should have a limit

Seattle is known for its dog lovers, and some locals have built entire careers walking the city’s countless pups. But should there be a limit for commercial dog walkers?

“Yes, I think the limit should be how many you can handle,” Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, said.

The debate stemmed from a “Rant and Rave” column in The Seattle Times, where a reader shared her issues with the Magnuson Off Leash Area.

“The other day, close to 40 dogs were congregated with multiple dog walkers in a narrow area of the park. A vicious dogfight ensued, resulting in one of the dog walkers being bitten until bloody. It was a dangerous situation for everyone, and it happens almost daily at this park,” the reader wrote, in part.

A limit for commercial dog walkers?

Ursula said there should be a dog cut-off for walkers, though she couldn’t say exactly what that number should be.

“I wouldn’t put a number on it, because there are people who could handle eight dogs really well, depending on the size and the temperament of each dog, and then there are people who would do a horrible job with just four dogs,” she said. “So I don’t want to put a number limit. It would be you do whatever you think you can handle, but if you can’t handle it, there is going to be a ticket for you, a citation. There’s going to be a punishment if you are not able to handle your dogs.”

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.