Letter to the Editor in today's paper

I had another letter to the Editor in today's Chronicle Herald. It was SO sarcastic though that I was sure they wouldn't publish it, so I didn't mention it here, and they didn't even edit it - they published the whole thing. Those editors at the Chronicle Herald are even crazier than I am.

Here's my letter:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Letters/836304.html

Silent majority


Bravo to Tripta Devichand (May 12 letter) for sticking up for responsible dog owners in HRM, in response to D.E. Brinson’s letter of May 2. It is unfortunate, but the problem for responsible dog owners is that we leave no trace when we go out with our dogs – so you really have no idea how many of us there are!

I believe there are many thousands of us in HRM. We are a voice to be reckoned with – and there are more of us than there are irresponsible dog owners.

First though, D.E. Brinson really needs to be educated about places that dogs can and can’t go. The argument is that there should be a few parks that are for adults and children only and he/she listed a few that they’d like to see that way. Well, those parks already are human only – namely, playgrounds don’t allow dogs now! So go play on those swings and feel assured that there’s no dog pee on them at all. I can’t guarantee about human pee.

As well, sports fields, between May 1 and Nov. 1, ban dogs, so roll on the grass. No dog poo will be there, either. And if you want complete peace of mind, go to any graveyard in HRM: They all ban dogs. You will never see a dog in a graveyard in HRM – only dead people, adults and children … and Sobeys bags, Tim Hortons cups, human waste. But no dog poo or dog pee. Those areas are completely devoid of that.

However, D.E. Brinson should be warned that dogs can go to any and all places on-leash in HRM – except places that serve and/or prepare food – so if he or she really dislikes dogs, it’s better just to stick to graveyards and grocery stores when going out.


Joan Sinden, Halifax

Here is the first letter I was referencing:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Search/834900.html

Human garbage

Re: D.E. Brinson’s May 2 letter on irresponsible owners. Speaking on behalf of responsible dog owners who always pick up after their dogs, I am surprised that this person feels so strongly about dogs and owners exercising and keeping healthy in Point Pleasant Park or any other park in HRM.

I have never seen any HRM employee going "around picking up the dog defecation, bagged or not." I would like to point out the amount of garbage everywhere in and around the city: there are Tim Hortons cups, KFC containers, cigarette butts, grocery bags flying in the wind.

These are not thrown by dogs. Behind the parking lot at Long Lake, there is so much "human" garbage. There is metal oven door rusting and all the poison is leaching into the lake. Do you think all this is done by dogs?

Let’s clean the city of the human garbage before we blame the dogs.W hat about human defecation? There is plenty of that in the woods of Point Pleasant Park and many other parks in HRM. All that "doo" is not "dog doo."

I agree, give us designated parks to walk our dogs off-leash, as this city definitely needs that.

Tripta Devichand, Halifax

and here's the letter from May 2nd that Ms. Devichand was referencing:

Irresponsible owners

In your recent poll on off-leash areas for dogs, the question should have read, “Should HRM taxpayers be paying their hard­earned money for irresponsible dog owners to have a green space/park exclusively for their dogs to defecate, urinate, walk in, etc.?"

They already have the use of one of the most beautiful parks in the HRM, where they allow their dogs to defecate, urinate and run wild. It’s called Point Pleasant Park! They can let their dogs do all these things and workers there are paid by HRM taxpayers to pick up the dog defe­cation (bagged or not). And if a dog is lost in the park, they’ll find it for the owner and give the owner a call to come and get their pet. What better service can you get than that?

A better idea would be to have a few parks, green spaces, sport fields and sport courts for chil­dren and adults only! Children should be able to play on a field or playground that has not been urinated or defecated on by dogs; but then again, maybe there are no health implications involved! I doubt very much that HRM recoups any money to offset the huge cost of cleaning up after ir­responsible dog owners because it’s very unlikely any of them are ever ticketed. And there is prob­ably only a very, very small per­centage of dog owners who regis­ter their dogs! I think that most of the litter in HRM is dog doo.

D.E. Brinson, Halifax