To the Editor:

I walk my dog almost daily at The Commons. It is a beautiful, peaceful place to walk, and I and my small dog really enjoy going there.

I meet many of the same people every day, some with dogs and some without dogs. Many of the dogs are on leashes and some are not. My dog is always leashed.

I do not have a problem with any dog being off leash at The Commons, as long as it is under voice control of its owner. Most of the dogs I meet are well behaved on or off leash and, if I request, the owners will leash their dog when they pass me.

I encountered a problem today which was very upsetting to me. A large, loose male golden retriever was ahead of us on the trail, presumably with his owner. He stopped, stared at us and starting barking at us. I have a small, vulnerable dog. I called to the owners to come get their dog, but they either were so far ahead that they could not hear or chose not to. I had to reverse my course and wait until the dog finally ran off. By then, I was shaking, since I would have no real way to defend my dog had that dog decided to attack. A couple who apparently knew the dog came by as I waited, and said that he was “not a friendly dog,” but would not hurt my dog.

There is a leash law in Brunswick and signs at The Commons clearly state all dogs must be leashed. I would like to suggest that if a person wants his or her dog off leash and the dog is not under voice control that the dog wear a muzzle.

Then regardless of the dog’s behavior or inclinations, other dogs (and possibly people if they try to defend their dog) will not be harmed.

Everyone has the right to have an enjoyable walk in our beautiful parks with their dogs without fear of harm.

Nan Rand
Brunswick