A note to all overconfident dog owners walking their furry beloved off-leash…stop! Lots of people don’t like dogs, or are terrified of them. These people can’t be expected to peacefully coexist with dogs if some dog owners aren’t respecting the leash laws by walking their pup off leash. These laws are there to protect everyone, including the dogs and too often I see misguided owners whose love for their dog blinds them to the fact that their dog is an animal.

It’s naive and dangerous to think you can control an animal 100 percent of the time. They have instincts and just because something bad hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t. Some of us have shelter dogs who have lived a scary life and when your free-range fur baby approaches them, it makes them nervous and may even start a fight. Some of us don’t want other dogs sniffing our dog. Some of us don’t like your dog taking a deuce on our lawn while you're 30 feet ahead and don’t notice. HRM has lots of designated leash-free spaces you can gleefully frolic with your pup. Otherwise, please respect your dog, my dog, your neighbours, and the law by keeping fluffy leashed. —Tired of Free Range Fidos