I don't think that that is cruel... I have done that with Annie before. We live in an apt and therefore don't have a yard (with a fence). If I take her off her leash she runs hog wild and I can't catch her. I want to play fetch with her, but I am afraid that if I let her go without her leash she will run wild and I won't be able to catch her again... So we leave the leash on and then we play catch!
Therefore she can still run around and if she tries to go to far I can still grab her
