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Letter to the Editor: Keep dogs on-leash while in public

In response to Colleen Laurent’s letter to the editor about off-leash dogs, I completely agree. I also keep my dog leashed when I walk her on the street, but for different reasons. She is 10 years old; when she was 1 year old, she was hit and run over by a car. She was off-leash. Her hip and rear left leg were shattered. We were lucky she lived through it and the subsequent surgeries. Today she continues to limp and carry her rear leg, walking mainly on three.

For the people of Truckee who walk their dogs off-leash: Do it on the trails – not on the street. My dog is docile and can’t run very fast, so I’ll let her run off-leash on trails when I’m with her, but on the street, that would be asking for trouble.

Even more of a concern are those who do not even walk with their dogs, but simply let them out to walk themselves. Not only are there aggressive dogs roaming about, but there are coyotes out there that can kill your dog, and if a coyote doesn’t, a car very well could. Visitors to our town are not familiar with the roads and generally drive too fast for conditions – even in the summer. Surgery for a dog can cost more than $8,000. Can you afford that? Are you willing to make the decision to put your dog to sleep because you cannot afford the veterinary costs?



As an aside, why do people bag their dog poo only to leave it on the side of a hiking trail? Who do you think is going to clean up after you? That is like using a toilet but not flushing.

Jamie Shepherd



Truckee


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