Stray Dogs vs Owned Dogs

Hi,

"I refer to the article, Stray dogs rarely attack or even approach humans, that was published on 23 Apr 08 forum in Strait Times.

I also refer to another article, $100 fine for owner if dog not on a leash, published in My Paper today.

I find it ironic that stray dogs can be allowed to roam freely but yet well trained dogs must be put on a leash!

I strongly feel that stray dogs should be caught and dealt with accordingly; eg put up for adoption.

While the chances of being attacked by a stray dog can be debatable, I do not think that we want someone to be bitten then only we will take action to catch the reported pack of stray dogs.

A pack of stray dogs is even more dangerous as I have seen a documentary on TV that a young boy cycling home was harassed by a pack of dogs.

We should respect that most of us may not be comfortable with dogs so it does not mean that if the dog does not bite, it is acceptable to let it roam freely.

I have been harassed by a ‘stray’ dog in my estate and I have seen it barking at passersby too. This dog was allowed to roam freely.

Thankfully, the owner has now kept it within his premises and leashes it when the dog is taken out for a walk to relieve itself.

My elder brother has been bitten by a stray dog in Clementi many years ago and it took him ages before he could get over the fear of seeing a dog near his path.

So I urge the appropriate authority to take immediate action to catch any stray dogs that have been reported to them.

BTW, I love dogs and have 2 dogs in my house."

I received the reply from them as below :

"Thank you for writing to us. We do appreciate your making the effort.

We receive up to 70 letters each day. Limited space means we can publish only about a dozen every weekday.
This means having to make often-difficult editorial judgments on which letters to publish.

We regret we are unable to publish your letter.

If your letter relates to a matter under the purview of a government department, you may want to visit www.sgdi.gov.sg for a list of officials to contact."

My Paper edited my letter and posted it as such :




Well, I will leave you to draw your own conclusion about the whole matter.