Jackie McGee hadn't exactly put the for-sale sign outside her Federal Hill house, but she was that upset - as were the other dog owners who joined her Tuesday at City Hall.
These people might tolerate Baltimore's high crime and struggling schools but they drew the line at the recent jump in fines for dogs caught off-leash - from $100 to $1,000. When McGee was socked with a $1,000 ticket, that fit her definition of too much.
"I really wanted to pack my bags and move," she told members of the City Council. "One of the simple pleasures of city living is going to a common area and playing with my dogs."
After a hearing that lasted more than three hours, drew about 50 people and was dominated by those who wanted the fine lowered, the council's legislative committee voted to change the leash law's $1,000 fine to a staggered penalty system. First offenders would pay $200, and those caught the second and third times would pay $400 and then $600.
Officials also voted to work on establishing off-leash hours in some parks and to lower the fine for those who fail to scoop up their dog's excrement from $1,000 per offense to $200.
The revised fines could become law as soon as May 19.
The battle over leash-law fines grows from a long-standing tension between residents who want their dogs to romp free and others who worry about dogs running wild in parks. The issue also underscores the frustration of many dog owners that there is just one legal dog park in Baltimore and another set to be built.
After the city began enforcing tougher leash-law penalties this spring, about 1,600 people - mainly dog owners - signed a petition urging officials to reconsider.
Dog people have perennially clashed with the dog-less across the city over claim to green space - from Patterson Park to Mount Vernon to Robert E. Lee Park and Riverside Park.
McGee, a Federal Hill real estate agent who has two dogs, had been worried not just about her pocketbook, but for the quality of life she enjoys - and tries to sell to potential newcomers to Baltimore.
"What you've done is said to the people, 'If you have a dog don't live in Baltimore,' " complained Bill Roberts, who lives in Guilford with two English pointers.
Those fighting the higher fines have pointed out that with $1,000 fines, leash-law violators would face tougher punishments than those who commit seemingly more serious crimes. A person who exposes himself in public, for instance, faces only a $150 fine.
