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Keep dogs leashed
On July 28 I was enjoying the sun at Avila Beach. I noted a sign that prohibited dogs on the beach. However, I observed no less than six dogs running around unleashed and two on leashes. I also observed several piles of dog feces.
While on my walk, I heard a vicious growl behind me, and as I turned, a medium-size brown dog snapped at me and bit the back of my leg. Luckily, I had started to pull away when I heard the growl and the dog’s fangs did not penetrate my skin — lucky for myself, the dog, the owners and the city.
Had I been injured and had I swung the metal digging tool I was holding, I would have either killed or seriously injured the animal and sued the owners for their obvious disregard of the posted laws and their lack of responsibility.
The city or the county responsible for the enforcement would also be subject to the suit due to the nonexistence of citations for open and obvious violations on all our beaches and public parks.
Believe me, I love dogs, my dogs. Not everybody loves your dog. Keep them on a legal leash. You irresponsible dog owners and municipalities are open to serious civil suits should a preventable dog bite occur.
Gil Rivera
Morro Bay
Save the animals
I found a most disturbing article (“Fire cuts power to Yosemite, chars 12 homes”) in your July 28 edition. The disturbing material was in the middle of the article. It was a quote from a nursing assistant named Mary Ann Porter who lives in Midpines with her daughter and grandchildren. It said she was evacuated and took with her some pictures and some computer hard drives while leaving her goats, chickens and dog behind.
It went on to say, “ ‘One of the blessings of living up here is that you adapt and learn to accept things,’ she said, sitting at a table reading a newspaper in the evacuation center in Mariposa.”
How philosophical that woman is while sitting safe and cozy while her poor dog might be burning to death and screaming in pain. Hopefully overcome by smoke before the flames got to him/her.
People like that should never be allowed to own animals. I can understand not being able to stuff goats and chickens into a car, but leaving your dog behind is the most cruel thing I have heard of in a very long time.
Maralyn Renken
Paso Robles
Barking out of hand
The first night I lived in Atascadero, nine years ago, I had to put up with three dogs barking nonstop for three hours. I’ve been having problems ever since with various neighbors’ dogs barking uncontrollably at various times of the day and night.
Every year I resolve to get a handle on it by working with the neighbors, by addressing my complaints with phone calls, letters and then a follow-up phone call to animal control. For the most part, the neighbors seem to try to lessen the barking.
One neighbor’s dog continued to bark outside all day for years until about a year and a half ago. The barking has nearly driven me crazy and makes me depressed. Many times I have to have all my doors and windows shut or have to leave the house. It’s difficult to garden outside or do any mental work. Many dogs are re-offenders and another follow-up call to Animal Control occurs. Animal Control says they visit the house, but there are no consequences to the dog’s barking or the owner’s disregard.
Someone please encourage Animal Control to work on their community complaint procedures related to barking. If nothing is done, I may have to go to the grand jury to have more than just Animal Control procedures reviewed.
Alice Baranik
Atascadero
No place for pooches
I have a dog, and I love this dog. I love my dog so much that I leave him at home when I go to public places like restaurants and bars, as I don’t want him to be at either end of trouble.
I know that when humans visit bars and restaurants, they want to relax and enjoy their drinks and meals while conversing with friends and loved ones without listening to barking or tripping over leashes.
This very thing happened recently when my husband and I went to Paso Robles for a nice meal at a downtown restaurant. Next door at the neighboring restaurant, a couple had two smaller dogs leashed to their chairs, and all was well until other dogs passed by. All heck broke loose each time this happened. Patrons at both restaurants looked on in dismay as the owners did nothing.
Shouldn’t the manager at that restaurant have asked these folks to take their dogs to the car? When did it become OK to bring pets to food serving establishments? Pooches are not people and should be 86’d from bars and restaurants, patios included.
K. C. Swan
Templeton
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