The writer of the letter to the editor last month about dogs in Shevlin Park sounds like a nice person. However, I couldn’t agree with her less.

First, having dogs off leash in areas as pristine as Shevlin Park is a big mistake. The biggest problem with dogs off leash is they do not stay on trails. Four-legged creatures (just like two-legged ones) definitely mangle vegetation, causing erosion. If you need proof of this, look at the Deschutes River Trail where there’s a plethora of trail cuts down to the water, or check out Hillside Park where the off-leash areas are pretty denuded.

Second, setting a certain time of day as being off leash is an even bigger mistake, as once people have their dogs off leash, they will soon forget about the time. Besides, some of us non-dog owners like to walk early, too, especially in the summer.

And finally, as far as the couple scolding the man, perhaps they were tired of being cursed and screamed at by dog owners who refuse to obey the law. I cannot count the number of times I’ve asked dog owners to call their dog when it is charging at me. They look at me blankly or curse me because they know they have no voice control over their dog, so what would be the point of calling it, so who am I to even ask?

I think things are terribly out of whack here in Bend. Dog owners act entitled to have their dogs off leash in non-off-leash areas. If the founder of the dog political action committee stepped down because members act entitled, you know things are out of whack. To highlight the case, we were in Vermont this fall and encountered a dog off leash on a trail. When I asked the owner to please get his dog, he said, “Sure, no problem.” We were both polite about it. That’s what we all need to get back to here in Bend — basic good manners and courteous behavior toward our fellow man. Until we do, there’s just going to be harder and harder feelings on both sides.

People are more important than dogs, and the park district must protect citizens. That’s not to say dogs should in any way be treated inhumanely. It’s just that when it comes down to it, people should be able to enjoy the parks they are paying for (at least until dogs start paying taxes).

We need to look at the parks we say we love. Is the vegetation disappearing? Are you seeing bare dirt along the sides of the river? Can we accept the trajectory of wear they’re experiencing? In the four years we’ve lived here, I’ve definitely seen trails get wider and wider and sensitive plants disappear.

Dog owners need to understand that not everyone likes their dogs, especially when they’re running straight at them with their mouths open and teeth showing. If you are thinking I’m a dog hater, I’m not. I don’t mind dogs that I’ve been properly introduced to that seem to be sane and not about to bite me or knock me down. Would we accept people charging at us with reckless abandon? Owners think they know what their dog will do, but I don’t (and I don’t think they really do, either). In the few seconds I have to size up the dog and react, I have to assume the dog may jump on me. I have osteoporosis and can’t afford to have a dog knock me down.

I hope I meet the lady who wrote this editorial on the trail someday, and when I ask her nicely to put her dog on leash in a leash area, she’ll say, “Sure, no problem.”

— Lynn Putnam lives in Bend.