I am a dog owner in Chilliwack and lately I am very frustrated with other dog owners. My friend and I walk our dogs every morning and every evening in the Meadowbrook area, behind AD Rundle, and also through the old University grounds. Every day we walk by piles of dog feces left where people can step on it, I have even seen it left in front of the path out to the road from Cascades Care home. As a responsible dog owner I carry my dog bag on my leash and always pick up what he leaves behind I am disgusted by those irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs.
In the past week we have encountered another problem in the field behind A D Rundle and on the University grounds. Again as a responsible dog owner my dog is always leashed, (it is the law ). I have run into several owners and have asked them to leash their dogs, they have been defensive and angry, as if somehow I am insulting them or their dogs all of these people have insisted that their dogs are harmless and that may be so. It is not weather or not their dog is going to bite myself or my dog it is perhaps first and foremost that it is the law, second I do not know their dogs and this may be the first time they decide to bite, the third thing is that my dog was bit while on leash and had his neck punctured, he is now afraid of dogs when he is on leash and it may be that if your dog is off leash and comes up to my dog he may bite first as he is scared. I am not being insulting to anyone when I ask them to leash their dogs I am obeying the law and asking that other dog owners do the same. There are off leash parks in Chilliwack and the surrounding area so please take your dogs there to be off leash. I also think that the City has some bylaws that need to be enforced, if people were ticketed for ignoring these bylaws perhaps they would be less likely to do so.
Reta Hallett
