FIDO NEEDS A FENCE
(Or at Least a Leash)

I am seriously hoping not to offend anybody’s love for dogs, especially their own beloved Fido, but some of us have an ingrained fear of these furry fiends and we need to be heard.

I can’t count the many times I have tried to take my daily walk on my neighborhood sidewalks only to be lunged at by somebody’s dearly-loved family dog. It may be big, small, mean-looking or not; cute or (in most cases) ugly. It may even be imprisoned by the incredible invisible fence, but how would I know that? The fact is, every one of them scare the daylights out of me. I inevitably turn around, pray that it doesn’t run after me and take a chunk out of my behind, and cut my desperately-needed walk to a bare minimum.

The nearby park is another of my favorite walking arenas, but that too has become infested with unleashed dogs and their trusting masters. No; scratch that, the majority of the dogs ARE the masters. The owners undoubtedly believe that their precious Fido would never bite, and that any kind of paranoia regarding their Fido is certifiably psychotic. Well, I disagree, having been bitten by “nice” dogs on more than one occasion and without provocation.

So what’s the answer? Unleashed Dog Parks could help, as some cities have. I somehow believe, though, that those who are inconsiderate enough to break current leash laws probably wouldn’t travel the extra three miles to the nearest Unleashed Dog Park.

It’s raining…I think I’ll chance a walk in the park.