On A Short Leash

It’s only a bronze statue - a dog that can’t run wild, chase cars or bite anyone - but that doesn’t make it exempt from New York City’s leash laws. In the wake of the city’s crackdown on leash-law violators, officials became nervous when they saw photographs of artist Jack Dowd’s 400-pound statue depicting a man sitting on a bench beside a leashless dog. But Dowd, creator of the life-size park statue called “Man & His Dog,” reaffirmed Tuesday that his completed work will include a leash. The statue will be unveiled in Tompkins Square Park next month.