Four-Legged Friend or Foe?

After I read the article about banning dogs from the San Onofre State Beach, I was enormously disturbed (“Line Drawn in Sand Over Dogs,” April 28). I have a dog of my own, and I take him down to my beach all the time. The way I see it, dogs have feelings and needs too, just like people. My dog enjoys getting out and going to the beach just as much as I do.

I understand that sometimes dogs can cause problems, but so do people. I have been down to the beach on numerous occasions and have been bothered by punks who have been drinking and get in fights. They cause more problems than dogs do.

I think that if lifeguards want to ban something from the beach, they should ban the punks. They are more of a problem at the beaches than dogs could ever be.

JIMMY SU

Laguna Niguel

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Re May 5 letters from C.R. Waxlax and J.J. Herpel concerning dogs on San Onofre State Beach:

As a state lifeguard since 1978, I would like to add some fodder for these folks to chew on. Regarding the suggestion that we should distribute educational literature to the dog owners, this was done and has been done by our kiosk entrance station personnel without compliance. The notion of friendly warnings is ridiculous. This is the whole reason why there is this problem in the first place. We have issued so many warnings, public education, one-on-one exchanges that this is where our time was being consumed.

As regards the sign placement, there is one at the park entrance and every trail head has a sign indicating no dogs except Trail 6, which has dog on leash signs. People are unwilling to police their own pets.

I personally don’t appreciate having to contact dog owners repeatedly for supposed minor infractions and having their pet charge, bite or chase me.

There are lots of families that bring small children to play on the flat, gentle portions of the beach only to be harassed, chased and intimated by vicious dogs whose owners always claim wouldn’t hurt a fly unless of course provoked. I frequent these very beaches as a citizen and have had my own experiences. Like walking down to the water and stepping in dog feces. Or being sound asleep and having a dog run up and shake sandy water on me. Or a dog grab my backpack, drag it away and grab my bag lunch while I was in the water. These are the same types of problems a lot of people have because of a few bad apples. But when those bad apples begin to poison everyone else’s fun then it is time to institute a little bit of restriction.

DANIEL J. LINEBACK

Capistrano Beach