disconnect

it was a very busy morning on red fox & chickadee. maybe lots of people took today off, maybe just getting the workout in before another not day.

i bet that 40- 50% of the people we see on an average morning have dogs with them. i seldom get photos because i am paying attention to keeping my own dogs under control, but it is a significant number. The majority have their dogs controlled, either leash or voice and are carrying poop bags.

most of the other users we meet are very nice about my dogs- thanking me for getting them over or making them sit, and complimenting them on being good dogs (we try very hard).

i don't understand why those of us who use the trails with our dogs don't seem to be viewed as a legitimate user group in the same way that mountain bikers, horseback riders, motocycles, hikers, people with children are. i get that unruly dogs cause problems. so do unruly kids, and people who ride any of the above mentioned vehicles irresponsibly.

none of us have a god-given right to use the trails as we see fit. we all need to be responsible and respectful of other users. i understand that.

what i do not understand is why we are not given the same opportunity as other user groups to work on the situation through education and enforcement. i have heard many times how much things have improved over the summer. i have gotten lots of emails and talked with lots of dog owners who are committed to keeping things headed in the right direction. it takes time to change behavior, but we are making progress.

what really bothered me about the fcac meeting yesterday was that with few exceptions the committee members seemed to be addressing the situation that existed last fall when the working group was convened, not the situation as it exists now.

the committee members are not elected, they are appointed, but as a taxpayer, i still expect fair consideration. don't feel like that's happening. not because we disagree on how things should be handled. if most dog owners were given reasonable documentation and if after a fair chance to correct things the situation didn't improve, we would adjust and move on. in this case, i don't feel like we've been given either. i guess we'll have to request that from Mayor and Council when we get to that point.


dog off to the side of the trail not bothering the approaching mountain biker.

the light was beautiful this morning. unfortunately, most of the golden glow is cheat grass. good reason to keep dogs on trail- my vet said it's an especially bad year, and they've been removing a lot of it from feet, ears and other orifices. nasty stuff that burrows in & has to be cut out.

anyway- have a great day!