Not Just Beach Issue 

Editor:

I was so thankful for the article calling attention to the age-old problem of dogs being allowed to roam free, and the nuisance that is to the rest of us.

I have noticed that many pet-owners are in denial about the troublesome behaviors of their pets. They don't notice when their dogs are disturbing people and property, and they ignore the posted signs requiring them to keep their dogs either on a leash or under their control.

I live in a rural area and visitors to our neighborhood often bring their dogs, letting them out of the car and not supervising them. The dogs run onto our property to check things out, and are never called to come back, so we are the ones who have to chase them out.

The dog owners say such things as "well, this is the countryside; dogs are allowed to run free in the country." They're not considering the obvious fact that we have our own private property, with a garden, and other things we want to protect from what dogs naturally do.

I wish that dog owners would face the fact that most people don't want to have a strange dog jump up onto them, sniff their private parts, bark at them, and other such things. I actually really like dogs, and I could love their dogs if  I didn't feel that we were being mistreated through their owner's lack of consideration.

Jean Damon, McKinleyville