First, welcome to PetTalk! Feel free to post pictures of Kona and Oreo, by the way...

I can't believe people would hassel you about your being a safe dog owner! If they're that certain their own dogs are fine running about near a busy street, so be it. But why make you feel like a bad dog owner because you don't want your own dogs running loose near speeding cars with dogs they don't know yet? Jeez. I think I'd probably blurt out something like that if they got in my face about it--it's like people telling other people how to raise their kids! It's obnoxious, and you just don't do that unless you want to hear a mouthful. Do what you and your dogs are comfortable with...safety first!