Editor, The News:
To all dog owners in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, we have such wonderful places to walk our dogs – parks, rivers, dikes and tree-lined streets.
It is quite possible that most of you dog owners have well behaved, friendly dogs.
But please remember that some of us have rescued dogs who, through no fault of their own, have needed to be rescued from places that have caused them to be highly reactive.
Reactive means that they may lack impulse control, they are afraid of new people or even mistrustful of other dogs.
Owners of such dogs are likely working very hard to help them cope with their reactivity, but this is made so much harder by dog owners who don’t abide by the bylaw that states dogs are not permitted to be “at large” other than in designated areas.
Frankly, I am so tired of owners who won’t leash their dogs when kindly asked, aren’t able to call their dogs back to be leashed, and often don’t even have a leash with them.
I don’t really care to hear your excuses that your dog is friendly or doesn’t need to be leashed because he is well behaved.
My dog is reactive.
Please help us help her by not pushing her to her limit of tolerance.
Even if you have no problem breaking the bylaw, please have enough respect for others to not do so when approaching another dog or person.
Kelly Antosh
Maple Ridge