In the past few editions of the Victoria News there’s been a lot of back-and-forth concerning dog bylaws in our city, and I find myself strongly on the side of regulations. I have had the opportunity to live in several foreign countries, not of all of which are as well-developed as ours, and packs of wild dogs running around city streets and occasionally biting passing humans are common.
I myself have very bad allergies to most breeds of dogs and I am thankful that B.C. Transit doesn’t allow people to take their canines on the bus. My wife has a phobia of dogs, even the small ones, and no matter how friendly or “special” an owner thinks their dog is, my wife remains petrified of them when they come sniffing at her knees or jumping up on her.
There are too many dog owners who let their dogs off the leash in public parks, allowing them to charge at people and jump up on them, even if only to say “hello.” I realize every dog owner loves dogs, but not everybody is a dog lover, and the bylaws in place are there to protect the common good.
Let’s keep it that way, and keep people’s dogs from jumping on me and my wife when we’re walking in the park.
Nathan Drescher
Victoria
Editor’s note: B.C. Transit allows service dogs and those in containers to travel on its buses.