For some cyclists and pedestrians, the dog days of summer have a slightly more menacing connotation.

Rose Gringas, a dog control officer for the City or Penticton and District of Summerland, is asking the public to get more vocal when they become aware of a dog that barks, chases or even bites passers-by.

“It’s an ongoing problem,” said Gringas, noting that she’s heard complaints that her department isn’t acting quick enough. “But without knowing or having a complaint, it’s hard for us to issue charges.”

In one particular case where a dog was repeatedly chasing pedestrians off the street, dog control could do little more than issue a warning because none of the people who had been victimized ever came forward.

This, she explained, could be due to misconceptions about what her office does. Many seem to be of the belief that she and her co-workers will immediately move toward putting a dog down, but that’s far from the case. What they do, is open a file on a menacing dog and then if the situation escalates they have a record on its history. That history could help guide future actions, as well save others from future attacks.

“The one case that’s going to court in Penticton, is with a dog that would repeatedly chase people into the street, then finally that resulted in a bite,” she said.

And, she noted, it’s not just big dogs who create the problems out there.

“It’s just as bad with little dog,” she said. “The problem with them is that they run out and if there’s a bike going down the street, it may veer out of the way to miss the dog and they could injure themselves.”

For those who may find themselves face to face with an aggressive dog, she also recommends that they not run from the animal.

“They should stop and face the dog,” she said. “Every situation can be different and the last thing you should want to do is run. That could instigate a chase and that brings out the prey instinct in a dog. And, you can never outrun a dog.”

Ultimately, none of this would be necessary if dog owners just obeyed the rules, and the 20 to 50 calls she gets a month may start to diminish.

Some things to be aware of is that dogs should be on a leash no more than six feet long, legally. That means the extend leashes that are popular with small to mid sized pooches aren’t going to cut it.

The city also has a bylaw that mandates that dogs be kept in backyards, not in front of a property.