Dog Beach Plans Unleash Emotions

* People who want a dog beach in Huntington Beach don’t deserve it (April 20).

The beach path is littered with their dogs’ mess. Very rarely do you see someone walking their dog with a plastic bag to clean up after their dog. Several times I have seen people actually allowing their dogs to drink from the public fountains on the beach.

Enough is enough! The organization that wants the dog beach should place plastic bags at strategic locations for those morons who bring their canines to the beach without a second thought about their basic needs. No parents would treat their kids that way.

Until you become more courteous to others who enjoy the beach, leave your mutts at home. If you want respect from the rest of us, clean up their acts and yours.

ROBERT DUNN

Huntington Beach

I am very irritated at the stupidity and shortsightedness of current leash laws. As a rule, I am increasingly becoming frustrated at the continuing erosion of simple freedoms, many once taken for granted. The ordinances requiring dogs to be leashed are particularly frustrating.

My dog is a full-fledged member of our family and enjoys the love and affection as every other “pack” member does. She is also off-leash trained. We are all animals and the superior attitude demonstrated by the two-legged animal toward other animals is shameful.

And you should also be ashamed for poorly writing such a one-sided view. You have taken for granted the strong feelings of most people regarding dogs and leash laws. I believe there is a “silent majority,” to borrow an old expression, that is not at all in agreement with the current level of restrictions.

Dogs do not have to always be leashed. They just have to behave in a reasonable way for the situation they are in. If someone has a dog, trained or otherwise, that cannot behave appropriately for the circumstances, then they should leash it or leave it at home if necessary.

Also, people as a whole need to have more tolerance toward others these days. That must include other animals who have an equal right to live on this Earth.

ERIK FULKERSON

Buena Park

Your article on irresponsible dog owners failed to mention one of the most frustrating experiences a responsible dog owner can encounter.

Imagine that you are a responsible dog owner walking along with your dog (on a leash, of course), when an unleashed dog that you don’t know comes bounding toward you.

The dog is sniffing around your dog and your dog gets agitated. Next thing you know, you are in the hideous position of having to split up an aggressive canine situation.

In this scenario, both human and canine run the risk of injury (I know, firsthand). These owners who let their dogs run loose don’t stop to think about the consequences of their dog’s actions, even when it could possibly mean that another person or even their own dog gets injured.

COLLEEN NELSON

Orange

I am tired of dog owners being picked on in your paper.

Dog owners are already heavily regulated as far as licensing, required immunizations, leash laws, number of dogs owned and picking up waste. When is someone going to have the guts to go after cat owners?

There are far more cats than dogs in this country these days; they are not licensed; they are allowed to roam unrestrained and defecate everywhere. Most of them are not immunized, and the complications from a cat bite or scratch due to infection are far worse than those of a dog bite or scratch.

Cats kill birds and other animals, have numerous litters of unwanted kittens and are constantly hit by cars.

I would like to know the amount of money spent by Animal Control on cat problems, when cat owners, unlike most dog owners, are not paying licensing fees. How about an article on the advantages of cats being regulated exactly like dogs?

The cat owners will go wild because they like having no regulations for their pets, while they will push for more regulations on dogs.

BARBARA D. HIEMSTRA

Huntington Beach