Our View: Grand jurors: Investigate Kern's leash law problem
There ought to be a law! Oh, wait, there is a law. In fact, there are many laws requiring dogs be kept on leash. But too many people ignore the laws, or consider them mere suggestions.
A California City dog attack in a public park last month left one child dead and another seriously injured. It is a tragic reminder that people allowing their dogs to roam unleashed is a serious crime. As a new Kern County grand jury is empaneled, jurors are urged to investigate the effectiveness of local leash laws, pet owners' compliance and enforcement.
On June 18, 12-year-old Fernando Torres Moreno and an 8-year-old girl were playing with other children in a part of a city park that is off-limits to dogs.
Three aggressive, off-leash dogs attacked the children, biting the girl on her arm, leg and ponytail. Terrified, Torres Moreno ran into a park pond to escape the dogs. As the dogs pursued him, Torres Moreno, who could not swim, struggled to stay above water and drowned.
According to police reports filed in court, the dogs' owner, 68-years-old Kenneth Dobbins of Palmdale, is accused of walking into the water, retrieving his dogs and walking away. Reportedly, he made no attempt to help the drowning child or the injured girl. He did not even speak to the mother whose daughter was mauled.
Dobbins was later located in Lancaster, arrested and taken to Kern County's Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility. Dobbins, who initially refused to be transported to court for his arraignment, eventually pleaded not guilty to charges that include second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and allowing a dangerous animal to roam unleashed, resulting in death and injury. He awaits trial.
This was not the first time Dobbins and his dogs had come to the attention of law enforcement. KGET-17 journalist Robert Price reported that California City police officer Adrian Duque, who responded to the park attacks, recognized Dobbins from an incident two days earlier at the California City condo of his girlfriend.
Duque was accompanying a probation officer to the location when the dogs lunged at him and the officer. He warned Dobbins about allowing the dogs to be off-leash.
The brutal park attack draws our attention to a danger that has lurked far too long in Kern County and its cities. Likely many who walk their pets after work have carried clubs or pepper spray to ward off marauding off-leash dogs.
Accidental pet escapes can happen. A sudden storm may damage a fence, or a gate is left open. Pets are found. Fines are paid. But far too often, some pet owners callously let their dogs roam loose to harass, harm and kill people. How often that happens is anyone's guess, because there lacks a central system to track and publicly report leash law violations, dog bites and related incidents.
For some crimes - and leash law violations are serious crimes - regulatory agencies create detailed online dashboards to notify the public of dangers and enforcement activities. But a centralized dashboard does not exist for dog bites, attacks and leash law violations.
County and city laws delineate when, where and how dogs can be left off leash. Animal control hotlines have been established for people to report roaming, unleashed dogs. Healthcare providers are required to report to regulatory agencies when they treat dog bites. But it's anyone's guess how effective those laws are, how diligently they are being enforced and if pet owners are obeying them.
The U.S. Postal Service tracks incidents involving its workforce. At a recent press conference, Bakersfield managers reported 41 dog attacks on local mail carriers occurred in the last five years. Data also is collected by local law enforcement agencies and animal control agencies, but not necessarily shared. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 4.5 million Americans are attacked by dogs every year, with the majority of victims being children and postal workers.
As a community, we know we have a dangerous problem. But we can't solve the problem until we can better understand it. We ask the Kern County grand jury to conduct a comprehensive investigation and suggest solutions that will better inform and protect area residents.
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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 5:20 AM.