We Are Repeat Offenders of "A Dog at Large"!

Now first off let it be know that if my neighbor was standing next to me at the market I would not know her or her family. We for no reason have never crossed paths and meet. We are harden criminals. But to her we are, criminals, with a neighbor that has nothing more to do then hide and watch for my dog to escape my front door. We have a lab mix that loves to escape once in a while. I understand that it is his nature and this is not a house dog by nature, but what can I do. He is my dog and I wouldn't get rid of him for the world. After all we live in the county by most standards, I have horse across the street from me.

We do have the dog leash law here and I obey it. I totally understand it and agree. But why go to this extreme over a simple dog? I have never let him out to roam free. He has a runner that we put him on when he goes out and we walk him on a leash, but sometimes he is much quicker the anyone of us 2 legged animals will ever be. He has never, in anyway, harmed anyone or thing. Well there was that pair of shoes I had and the remote! He was raised with 2 small dogs and plenty of people. My thing is, honestly we have some unwanted business people in the area and, for some reason that escapes me, why does my neighbor feel the need to have animal control over or even the police when animal control is closed. My dog does not even go in her direction when he takes off. He knows where his friends are. She had numerous cats that are loose and fall under the leash law. Oh and they are multiplying like crazy, still, I have not called on her once and her cats love to "meet" under my house. But that is nature and I understand that an animal is an animal, and they are only so controllable. So, end result, we went to court over this "vicious dog at large", yeah, at this point she has him pegged as vicious.