I just returned from a walk around the base of Mount Douglas from my Gordon Head home. During that walk, I passed several dogs on leashes with owners who had full control of their pets – often pulling aside as I passed and exchanging pleasant greetings.
In the latter part of the walk, I observed one dog owner ineffectively calling for her dog, “Tikka, Tikka, Tikka,” as it ripped around within the fenced-off habitat restoration area. It is this one irresponsible dog owner that unfortunately I will remember most from this otherwise peaceful walk.
Clearly, her dog cannot read and interpret the signs restricting access to this sensitive area – one can only hope that Tikka’s owner (and others that let their dogs run wild where they should not) gains some insight someday and stops perpetuating the controversy around access limitations for all dog owners. Until that day, however, the debate will continue about where and how dogs can be walked in our community.
Ian H. Phillips
Saanich
