Subject: [Tweeters] My last word on off-leash dog areas and dogs in general
Date: Oct 9 14:13:33 2005
From: Rachel Lawson - RachelLawson at softhome.net


Hi, everyone,

I have no desire to turn this into the "dreaded dog thread", so this
will be my last public pronouncement on the issue (though I welcome more
off-line discussion).

I received many replies to my original post, both on and off Tweeters.
Several writers mentioned the MANY times they have been treated rudely
and worse by law-breaking dog owners when they asked these dog owners to
leash their dogs, no matter how polite they were. Believe me, I know.
This has happened to me, too, more times than I can count, to the point
that birding in some places has become very stressful. One writer
pointed out the misplaced sense of entitlement enjoyed by some people,
dog owners and parents of undisciplined children among them, which
allows them to inflict their bad behavior on others. They just can't
believe that we don't love their beloved off-leash dog or obnoxious
children as much as they do. These people become VERY defensive and
angry when confronted, often knowing they are in the wrong, but being
unable to admit it. I think my point was that birders can be just as
guilty of this sense of entitlement, and rudeness in off-leash areas
isn't the worst of it. I'm not talking about birders standing up for
birds and nature, here, just bird "watching". How many times have you
seen other birders trespass on private property, or harass a bird to get
a better look or a photo? Did you ask them to stop?

So what should we do? Most birders are nice, law-abiding people, and so
are most dog owners. But many dog owners are just clueless, and have no
idea that birds nest on the ground in park meadows, or that dogs maul
hundreds of marine mammals on public beaches. Some don't care, and will
never care, but I think that many can be educated into keeping their
dogs on a leash. That's where the SODA people and other responsible dog
owners come in. By following the rules, they set a good example, and
they have a moral authority that I, as a non-dog-owner, lack. But, so
far, they seem quite reluctant to police their own, just as we are often
reluctant to confront rule-breaking birders. It may be a simple wish to
avoid confrontation, but it also may be a lack of understanding of what
(birds and habitats) the leash-laws are designed to protect. I think if
we engage with "good" dog owners in a friendly way when we meet them,
especially if they are curious about what we are doing and the birds we
are looking at, we can thank them for following the rules, and try to
enlist them to get others to do the same. "I have my dog on a leash,
why don't you?" So, that was my second point. These "good" dog owners
can be our friends and allies. It won't be easy, but I think it's worth
a try.

Rachel Lawson
Seattle
RachelLawson at softhome.net