Thank you Henry for your thoughtful article on the topic of off-leash dogs. There are many sides and perspectives to this issue. Responsible people should be able to do what's right and yet, our dog was killed because, although these people whose dog killed ours, are honourable and promised time and again to keep their dog on a leash when they knew she was aggressive, our little dog, the light of our lives, was viciously killed the fourth time she was attacked by this dog off a leash These honourable people failed to honour their own word.

We do need an off leash park where dogs can run and play and NOT harass the wildlife with signs posted that the area is off-leash and you go at your own risk. But not places like Smelt Bay, a heavily used recreational park and family beach which is totally inappropriate for off-leash dogs as are many of the woodland trails.

We do need some kind of visible community agreement that it is not ok to have a dog off leash in a public area. For one thing, you run the risk of your dog being attacked by an aggressive dog, also off leash. You cannot say for certain, without a doubt, your dog will not react to the fear of some person who has had bad experiences with dogs and cause harm. There are many dogs I can think of that are calm, compliant dogs but do we not have to be a good example just to each other?

What about visitors who are coming here in ever increasing numbers who see other dogs running on off leash, on the beaches, in the woods and think it is ok to let these dogs loose. Is that ok with you? Dogs running and killing deer is a whole other issue. Where is the compassion for others' (people and animals) experience over what you want to do?

Libertarianism only works if people care as much about their neighbour's experience as they do about their own, that there are still norms of acceptable behaviour, that it is not just doing whatever you want no matter how it impacts others. Yes, people move to Cortes because there are no rules. But freedom comes with responsibility and we can easily see that not all residents and visitors are mature and responsible people.

And then there is the issue of what kind of dog is appropriate for your lifestyle, ability to proved sufficient stimulation and appropriate exercise. Perhaps you don't need a dog whose needs include a job to do, perhaps a less active and sentient dog would fill the need for a canine friend.