Who let the dogs out?

I have a German Shepherd named Molly. We adopted molly a little over 1 year ago from German Shepherd coastal rescue. One of Molly's favorite things to do is to go for walks. Sometimes I take her around the nieghborhood and sometimes I take her to Balboa Park or the Beach. Something that has been happening more and more frequently is running into dogs that are loose and without Leashes or even collars sometimes. More often than not we run into peaceful fun loving dogs that have figured out how to jump their fence. There have been times where I run into a loose pitbull or other "aggressive" breed dog to where I have to really think on my feet. Lucky for me, Molly isn't such a small dog that I don't have to fear too much for our safety, as most dogs that are loose tend to avoid us. But this wasn't always the case, I have owned a Beagle that had recently passed, and she was a very brave beagle who had been attacked because of her braveness by a loose pitbull. She survived that and lived happily for another 11 years, at the time the thought of her living past the attack was up in the air. So what do you need to know when you see a dog loose in the nieghborhood? First if you can avoid the dog, do so. If you have a cell phone handy, you should call Animal control and report the situation. Their phone number is 619-236-2341. Animal control officers will pick up the Dog and contact the owner. Most importantly be aware of your surroundings and avoid Dogs who are loose or off their leash. Keep your eyes open if you encounter a loose dog sometimes the owner isn't too far away and you might be able to catch their attention to the situation. Sometimes someone is just doing yardwork and isn't aware that Fido has decided to walk himself while they are distracted.