Dear Editor:
Re: Pooches pepper sprayed on North Vancouver trail, March 29 news story
Pepper spraying dogs unnecessarily and following/threatening someone is not acceptable behaviour on the trails.
However, your article seemed to support the message that people who don’t like dogs just need to “chill”, or they should go to other trails. There was no mention of a dog walker’s responsibility to have control of their dogs. In general, anyone with off-leash dogs needs to be considerate of others using the trails. According to Metro Vancouver, “under control” means the dog: keeps within 10 metres of their walker, stays on marked trails, returns when called, and does not harass or chase other dogs, people or wildlife.
I am a dog owner living at the trailhead and I avoid those trails because behaviour of others is too unpredictable and has resulted in too many negative experiences.
There is a misconception that dogs will just “do what they do”, but it is not true that “any dog will react.” It is the humans accompanying the dogs who are responsible for their behaviour. There are many considerate/responsible dog walkers, and there are dog walkers who let their dogs run, barking and surrounding hikers and other dogs. This is not “chill.” This is selfish. And there are many trail users who are not commercial dog walkers who are just as (if not more) inconsiderate.
Generally there appears to be no standard for what is considered acceptable trail behaviour, and the bullies inevitably end up having their way. Regardless of what happened in the incident you wrote about, your article may have empowered these bullies. They are ok to keep doing what they are doing while others need to “chill” or leave if they don’t like it.
Again, I am not condoning excessive use of force, or threats to anyone (dogs or people) – all trail users and wildlife should feel safe on the trails. I agree that everyone needs to be respectful, but this also includes the dog walkers.
Laura Dailyde
North Vancouver
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