A Dog’s Life Isn’t That Easy

* Re “Crime Unleashed,” April 20:

If there are that many people who break the dog-leash laws, then maybe we should ask whether the arbitrary enforcement of such laws is justified.

Perhaps this is one instance where having criminal laws on top of the liability laws has gone too far. If a dog causes harm to someone else, then fine [owners] for that--but don’t penalize all of the other dog owners who have done a good job of training their dogs.

DOUG KIESCO

Irvine

* Your article overlooks one very important fact. We Orange County dog owners don’t have yards. We can pay $400,000 or more for a house, but this outrageous sum or more will not buy us a yard to go with it.

Dogs need to exercise. In virtually every other part of the country this is accomplished by putting the dog in the yard to romp and frolic. Here in Orange County we have little choice but to go to parks and beaches.

Your article mentions the dog parks in Costa Mesa, Laguna Canyon, etc. This is all very nice, but Orange County encompasses a huge area and three small dog parks is hardly sufficient.

Huntington Dog Beach is a particular thorn in the side of dog owners who frequent it. Dogs aren’t allowed off leash on their own beach. Excuse me? Maybe the city of Huntington Beach should go one step further and not allow dogs at all at the dog beach!

What I find particularly galling is the fact that we dog owners pay taxes just the same as everyone else, and yet our families don’t have equal access to county facilities. This problem is especially acute in Irvine. There are parks everywhere, but no dog park. There is even a park (Echo Park) a few blocks from our house that is for the exclusive use of children 9 years old and younger who are riding big wheels.

What all of this boils down to is rampant species prejudice. Shame on you, Times, for printing such a ridiculous and one-sided article.

PATRICIA VINET

Irvine

* The current leash laws are too restrictive. It is impossible for a dog to get adequate exercise confined to a 6-foot lead 100% of the time.

Are children required to be constrained to a 6-foot lead 100% of the time they spend outdoors? The answer is no. And why not? The answer is obvious--just as obvious to us whose children happen to have four legs.

You mention the “bark parks” as the only areas where you should exercise your dog off-lead. Legally, that may be true, but bark parks are not for every dog. Certainly not for mine.

I have never had a problem in a normal city or regional park or beach where my dog and the other regular neighborhood dogs congregate to play.

Every time I have gone to a “bark park” there seems to be an incident involving my dogs. The reason is bark parks give license for out-of-control dogs to run off-lead. They’re the dogs you wouldn’t meet running around a normal open area off-lead because they’re the ones causing the problems.

You mention most dog bites occur with off-lead dogs. This is false. A dog is less inclined to aggression when he is off-lead because he doesn’t feel he must protect his property, which is you when you’re holding the lead.

CATHERINE BIELE

Costa Mesa