SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Several families in Pacific Beach tell 10News they're afraid to take kids to Kate Sessions Park after multiple run-ins with off-leash dogs.
Ryan Kalb says his three-year-old was knocked to the ground.
"It’s frightening because, she’s 10 feet away but I couldn’t do anything," Kalb said.
The pair was playing catch, enjoying an evening at the park when a dog ran up to them and knocked the little girl over.
"It was some sort of a black and white spotted hound that got her this time," he said, noting that this has happened before. "It looked at her, and it just took off. It was full speed and it pounced on her shoulders, full-on tackled her.”
For the most part, his daughter is ok. But when he told her where he was going on Monday before talking to 10News - she warned him about the dogs.
"She doesn’t want to come back here," Kalb said.
The family has no idea who the dog belonged to, but they that specific dog isn't the problem. Several families told 10News that the park is notorious for off-leash dogs - something that was clear when we showed up on Monday.
Dozens off-leash dogs were there, some of them feet from children. There are several signs around the park urging owners to keep their dogs leashed.
Kalb says he plans to go to the next Pacific Beach council meeting and ask for more enforcement at the park. His daughter got lucky twice, but he doesn't want another child to suffer a bite.
"It’s a helpless feeling when a dog sprints at your kid and you cannot intervene," he said.
Outside of the impact on children and families, other neighbors said that off-leash dogs have attacked their leashed dogs at the park.
