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Unleashed dogs in Prescott Park raise hackles Hikers walk through Prescott Park on Roxy Ann Peak, where recent incidents with unleashed dogs have raised concerns. [Mail Tribune / Jamie Lusch] Sunday Jul 9, 2017 at 12:01 AM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat A laissez-faire leash culture has led to injuries and frightening confrontations with dogs at Prescott Park, users say. A Medford runner's Fourth of July morning in the park near Roxy Ann Peak took a terrifying turn after four unleashed Weimaraners left him bleeding and unsure how he'd make his way back. The runner, who asked that his name not be used, said he'd been focused on his uphill climb on Spur Road at about 6:30 a.m. as he headed to the peak. He was at the last corner when the four large-breed hunting dogs surrounded and attacked him, leaving him with deep puncture wounds and a chunk taken out of his upper thigh. A fellow runner came to his aid, helping to chase off the dogs and then driving his vehicle up the park road to pick him up and transport him to an urgent care clinic. The runner said he was at first unsure whether to file charges against the owner, but now thinks he will. A dog owner himself, he said he didn't want anything to happen to the dogs. "I'm still working through it," the runner said. "A very peaceful moment changed in an instant." The runner is not alone in his concern. Joyce Grace, who lives in east Medford, said she often hikes the Pacific Crest Trail, but avoids the park near her home after her husband, Lance, was slightly injured by an unleashed dog. It didn't appear to be an aggressive breed, Grace said, but it frightened the two leashed dogs her husband had been walking, sparking a fight that left him with a tooth scrape on his leg that will leave a scar.  It's a clearly posted violation of park rules to let dogs run without a leash, said Parks Director Rich Rosenthal, who also said that he and the parks supervisor who oversees Prescott Park hadn't received any complaints recently. "If park patrons observe rules violations, we encourage them to contact law enforcement at 541-770-4784 or call 911 in the event of an emergency," Rosenthal said in an email. Grace said she hasn't complained to Medford Parks and Recreation because meetings are hard for working people to fit in their schedule, and "it just goes to deaf ears." She said she'd like to see an increased official presence at the park. Except at the fenced dog areas at Hawthorne and Bear Creek parks, letting any dog run unleashed in Medford parks is a code violation that carries a maximum $500 fine, according to Medford police Lt. Justin Ivens. Failing to control a dangerous dog is a misdemeanor crime that could land an owner in jail. “You have some intent or some criminal negligence,” Ivens said. “Ultimately if this is deemed to be a crime you could be arrested for it.”  Both Grace and the runner say that unleashed dogs are a common sight in Prescott Park. "The number of times I've heard that one — 'My dog is friendly,'" Grace said. "Any dog given the right circumstance can get mean." — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.