Another response to Dana Rubinstein

I don't expect that "The Brooklyn Papers" will ever correct the fallacious article "Dogs Win!". Here is another letter that was sent to writer Dana Rubinstein regarding her bit of fantasy:

You failed to mention in your article how the wonderful off leash hours in our parks exclude people who are afraid of dogs, allergic to dogs, or wary of dogs (with good reason). Oddly enough, FIDO's own website states that .. many [park workers] are afraid of dogs, so we should all make an effort to keep our dogs away from them at all times. Even FIDO admits that the off leash dogs make some people uncomfortable!

I don't know how so many dogs that are poorly trained to recall can be made to "keep away" from anyone. FIDO remains wilfully blind to the fact that park workers are not the only people who don't enjoy being charged, sniffed, knocked down, or otherwise harassed by uncontrolled dogs. The only way FIDO can be sure of keeping "our dogs" away from park workers and others who do not want to deal with them is to build a fenced dog run (or several) in Prospect Park. The fact is, they just don't want to give up their exclusive domain, the beautiful spacious meadows which should be open for use by all people at all times, not just a certain set of "dog lovers" who enjoy this unique form of "doggie welfare".

The writer is a dog owner who lives one block from Prospect Park.

Kimberly Edwin
Brooklyn, NY