Editor:
Re: New ban for dogs, Aug. 16.
It is a shame that the disgusting behaviour of a few ignorant dog owners results in less walking areas for all responsible dog owners.
My wife and I and many friends have walked the parks and trails in South Surrey for years. We clean up after our dogs and even clean up messes left by other owners.
We find there are less and less places to walk with your dog and no more dog parks than there were years ago. The two dog parks that are available are crowded and small.
One of the biggest losses for dog owners was the First Nation land off 8 Avenue with great access to the beach. I don’t blame the Semiahmoo band for closing the park, as more and more people were leaving dog messes in the park and on the beach.
My point is that the responsible dog owners and their dogs are being penalized for the actions of a few.
My suggestions are:
• Charge much higher fines for any dog owner witnessed leaving excrement on any public place.
• Responsible dog owners, take a camera on your walk and film any offender; walk discreetly behind them to their residence and send the information to the City of Surrey for penalties.
I am tired of irresponsible people in our society getting away with slaps on the wrist while the majority are paying the piper.
A change is needed and now.
Jim Enos, Surrey
• • •
Again, irresponsible dog owners are ruining the enjoyment of some of our wonderful dogs who have responsible owners when walking Rover or Fido through parks, etc.
Though I’ve never owned a dog, I love them all, immensely. I became a volunteer dog walker for the shelter in Toronto almost 50 years ago. We’d carry two poo bags on each walk, and disposed of the bag in garbage cans located along the streets. ‘Picking up’ became automatic.
When I retired, I started a dog-walking business and kept to the routine of quickly picking up after a dog relieved itself, eventually disposing of the bag properly.
It’s such a simple routine.
Feces left on the ground in parks and on sidewalks is darned annoying – again, it’s not the animals, but dumb, uncaring owners.
A couple of years ago, snow fences were put around some areas of soccer fields so that they could repair the areas ripped up during the season. Signs were posted to not walk in the area, and ‘no dogs.’ Sure enough, on at least two occasions as I was making my way around these fences to get to the track to work out, some dumb people were encouraging their dogs to go into this fenced area. The dogs, after scampering about for a little, stopped to urinate and/or defecate.
The owners didn’t go in to pick up.
I sometimes wish there was some way I could pick up the feces and smear it on these unthinking jerks.
The other side of the coin, I’ve walked through these parks when there are soccer practice or games going on. Family and friends are in folding chairs along the sides of the field, or lying on blankets – all have food and beverages. Yep, I’ve come back through these areas, and the amount of human garbage left is disturbing and disgusting!
There are large garbage cans in the area, but these people choose to ignore them. Players discard a lot of adhesive tape. There’s lots of plastic cups, plates, utensils, paper napkins, scrunched up bags. Unbelievable!
Why? These are all good people, and the beautiful soccer fields are well-maintained for their use. But why can’t they and the athletes pick up their garbage after themselves?
At my ‘advanced’ age, I still walk dogs on occasion for friends and watch them closely so they don’t pick up garbage, and I’m ready to pick up ASAP after a dog has relieved itself.
Please folks, pick up after Rover and Fido and help keep the city clean for all of us.
Ruth Carrier, White Rock