More About San Francisco

An email to two San Francisco municipal officials:

I am very concerned about an article in SF Examiner in which you attacked the GGNRA plan to regulate off leash dogs, and in which he as much as stated that the dogs' recreation is more critical than that of the non-dog owning humans. If the majority of recreators in both city parks and GGNRA are dogs and their owners, that's because the dog owners have chased the rest of us away: seniors, disabled people (including blind people, whose dogs are attacked by the off leash animals and can no longer use the parks), children, and anyone else whose space an individual dog feels like invading at any given moment.

As a senior, I had to give up both city parks and the GGNRA because I've been assaulted too many times by dogs and no longer have the strength to run (as I used to do) or fight back. The dogs are not only out-of-control, but often out of sight of their owners, who cannot -- or care not -- to control them. Dogs are a huge liability. They might be doted on by their owners, but they're noisy, dirty, unpredictable, disruptive, and sometimes vicious. They defecate and urinate all over the beaches and parks, create noise, and often attack people, yet the dog owners (and the walkers) don't pay an extra dime. Talk about a free ride!

Dog owners should buy some private land and "recreate" their animals there. Why should we pay for the areas we can no longer use?

Thank you for your attention in this matter. I live in District 10, and am interested in how you respond to this attempt to take away our public lands. I am very concerned about an article in SF Examiner in which Supervisor Wiener attacked the GGNRA plan to regulate off leash dogs, and in which he as much as stated that the dogs' recreation is more critical than that of the non-dog owning humans. If the majority of recreators in both city parks and GGNRA are dogs and their owners, that's because the dog owners have chased the rest of us away: seniors, disabled people (including blind people, whose dogs are attacked by the off leash animals and can no longer use the parks), children, and anyone else whose space an individual dog feels like invading at any given moment. As a senior, I had to give up both city parks and the GGNRA because I've been assaulted too many times by dogs and no longer have the strength to run (as I used to do) or fight back. The dogs are not only out-of-control, but often out of sight of their owners, who cannot -- or care not -- to control them. Dogs are a huge liability. They might be doted on by their owners, but they're noisy, dirty, unpredictable, disruptive, and sometimes vicious. They defecate and urinate all over the beaches and parks, create noise, and often attack people, yet the dog owners (and the walkers) don't pay an extra dime. Talk about a free
ride!

Dog owners should buy some private land and "recreate" their animals there. Why should we pay for the areas we can no longer use?

Thank you for your attention in this matter. I live in District 10, and am interested in how you respond to this attempt to take away our public lands.