The Editor,
Re. “Common sense?” (Letters, The Tri-City News, Aug. 26).
The answer to Ms. Farrugia’s letter of Aug. 26 questioning her receiving of a bylaw ticket for having her dog unleashed should have been abundantly clear to her.
The existence and application of bylaws for keeping dogs on leash in public spaces is not so much a question of common sense and personal judgement, as Ms. Farrugia asserts, but a matter of personal responsibility as a pet owner and citizen sharing and enjoying a public space with others in the community.
While she’s aware that her friend’s dog is aggressive and her own dog isn’t, the public she shares the park with cannot afford to make that distinction. Anyone unfortunate enough to have stepped in uncollected dog poop or have been intimidated — or, worse, attacked by an aggressive dog — can attest that there are plenty of irresponsible pet owners out there, hence the need for such bylaws.
As a pet owner myself, I can sympathize with her displeasure of being on the receiving end of a ticket under the circumstances she described, as the officer could have shown more discretion.
The fact remains, though, that in the preceding months, the city of Coquitlam launched a very public and extensive campaign of educating dog owners about the importance of keeping their pets leashed in parks and warned that enforcement would increase. Really, Ms. Farrugia should have known better.
Jason Ma, Coquitlam
