After being harassed by dogs a number of times, a Ballard woman is hesitant to walk her Jack Russell terrier around her neighborhood.

Saraina would only provide her first name for fear of reprisal. She lives on Northwest 57th Street and is a vocational counselor who works from home. She normally walks her dog three times a day and alleges that on April 23, she was walking the dog on Northwest 57th Street near 15th Avenue Northwest when a large Rottweiler came down off of a neighbor's porch and started pursuing. She ran across the street to get a way but the Rottweiler, lunging at the terrier, knocked her down.

After picking up her own dog to protect him from the attack, Sariana says the dog jumped on her, knocking her off balance and then to the sidewalk, which she said caused a fractured hip joint.

Sariana says a woman who saw the whole incident unfold started screaming for help, which summoned the owner of the other dog, who retrieved his Rottweiler. The owner has subsequently moved out of the area and was unavailable for comment.

A witness called 911 and the police responded. An Animal Enforcement officer said her department would increase patrols in the area to ticket people for having dogs off leash.

In February, during another walk, a dog came nose to nose with Saraina's dog on the street. "I told it to go home. The owner came over and said 'what's your problem,'" Saraina said.

She responded by saying the dog scared her. The owner then directed profanities at Saranina.

On May 29, a dog ran from a home towards Saranina. She tried to shoo it away and picked up Laylin again. A woman who owned the dog tackled it, stroked it to calm it down and apologized.

"I've been walking dogs in this neighborhood for eleven years. It's a disturbing trend. People leave their front door open with the dog not on a leash. It's not a good idea," Saraina said.

At least two other police reports filed last month involved Ballard residents.

On June 16 a 50-year-old Ballard woman was walking her dogs on 3rd Avenue Northwest when a pit bull went after the woman's dogs, causing her to get tangled up in the leashes and falling. She broke her arm in the struggle.

On June 25, another 50-year-old Ballard woman was walking her pet on Northwest 25th Street when a dog escaped from a yard through a gap under a deck.

The woman reached down to pull the dog off her pet and was bitten in the index finger. The dog then attacked the woman. The owner ran out and placed the dog in a car.

Dog attacks are a citywide problem. Seattle averages one dog bite incident each day according to Don Jordan, manager of the Seattle Animal Shelter.

Other June incidents occurred in North Seattle. In one case two pit bulls went after a teenage girl near a trailer park. A trailer park resident came out and fended off the dogs with a baseball bat.

Another North Seattle resident told police he was afraid to leave his house at times, not knowing if a neighbor's two problem dogs were running around outside.

Gretchen Frankenstein, a friend of Saraina's who lives in West Seattle, had a similar story. Frankenstein's Springer spaniel was attacked by a pit bull dog that jumped over a fence.

Her Springer spaniel is not small, weighing in at 50 pounds. The attacked caused numerous injuries and resulted in a $400 veterinarian bill.

"I pulled them apart and called for help," said Frankenstein. A neighbor helped restrain the pit bull.

Frankenstein said the pit bull was owned by the son of a family living in the home. The son neglected the dog, moved out and the parents did not want to take care of it. After the attack, they had the dog euthanized.

Dog attacks in her West Seattle neighborhood are becoming more common she says and now Frankenstein is afraid to walk her dog.

Jordan said pit bulls are not always dangerous and the animal shelter sometimes has the breed up for adoption.

According to the Seattle Municipal Code, it is illegal for any animal, expect cats and pigeons to be at large, except at an off-leash area. In Ballard, there is an off-leash dog park at Golden Gardens.

When dogs are on a leash, the leash cannot extend more then eight feet.

Jordan said there is an inherent risk in having a dog that is not good with people off leash. The larger the dog, the more need to be careful. Dogs will sometimes go after other dogs if they are in heat according to Jordan.

"Anytime a dog is on a leash, a passerby has more trust," said Queen Anne resident Suzahne Bradley who walks a friend's dog on occasion.

Bradley said brother has been attacked before. She said dog owners are not aware of how quickly a dog can get out of control if they are not leashed.

Bradley has found that the dog she walks will try and chase after other animals like squirrels putting itself in danger of being hit by cars. This happened once as Bradley was attaching a leash.

The code specifies that it is unlawful for dogs to "chase or approach a human, on property other than that of the animal's owner, in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack, which may include but is not limited to any one or more of the following behaviors: snarling, baring teeth, growling, snapping, pouncing, lunging, attacking or attempting to bite."

The law does not require homeowners with dogs to have fences according to Jordan.

"If the dog remains on the owner's property, it can act any way it wants, but it can't leave the property," said Jordan. Even if someone walks onto a property, a dog has no right to bite.

The city of Vancouver, B.C. is having a huge dog attack problem and is trying to deal with the issue said Jordan.

"One incident is too many," said Jordan. The city is in the process of hiring more enforcement officers to handle animal control cases.

"If you know an animal has aggressive tendencies, you need to maintain it properly. Don't place yourself at risk for liability," said Jordan.

The city takes dog attacks seriously and owners can be held liable said Jordan. The charge is a Gross Misdemeanor with a $5,000 fine, one year in jail or both.