To the Editor,
Re: Public needs a dog-free space, Letters,Sept. 27.
I have lost count of the number of angles at which Tom McCartney has single-mindedly attacked dogs and dog owners.
His latest contains several statements that are of doubtful accuracy.
He states that “many dogs are aggressive, harassing and even vicious ....”. Where does he find all these teeth-baring dogs? I walk every day and have yet to meet a single one.
He also wrote that “dog owners are selfish, narcissistic and self-absorbed ...” In a previous letter I questioned his inappropriate use of the word narcissistic, yet in his ignorance he continues to use the word wrongly.
In contrast to his obviously biased opinion, I find dog owners in general tend to be outgoing and quite friendly, although there is nothing exceptional in that. Most people, if given a chance, are easy enough to get along with.
Finally, he makes the statement that the vast majority of people in Nanaimo feel as he does. On what does he base this opinion, or is he in fact himself the narcisist who believes that he is so obviously right and wonderful in all ways that others must see him as he himself does?
I would not normally castigate any man for holding an opinion – even a skewed, perhaps unbalanced opinion – however, as a dog owner, he has referred to me and others like me in far from complimentary terms (“moronic”) and I see no harm in replying in kind using his own words.
The city continues trying to accommodate both dog owners and non-dog owners. I hope this trend continues and that some natural areas may be shared as both off-leash and people parks. Linley Valley, with its trees, rocks and steep, narrow trails, truly lends itself to this purpose.
Whether the city will ever be able to also accommodate obsessive caninephobics – to coin a word – is another thing entirely.
Garry Bradford
Nanaimo