What is it with The Herald and the celebration of dogs? I’ve never seen another newspaper waste so much space on feel-good tripe about canines. The most recent and prominent example of this nonsense was Julie Muhlstein’s front-page column about a dog who spent time in Afghanistan, but is now safely in Everett. That’s mildly interesting and heartwarming, I guess (if you’re a dog lover) — but front-page news?
Earlier in the month, several square inches in the local section was devoted to a photo of some dogs in Bremerton looking out a window. No attempt was even made about this being newsworthy — it was just assumed that readers in Snohomish and Island counties would be entertained by some mutts looking out a window in Kitsap. And the pro-dog material goes on and on, month after month.
Some of us consider dogs to be the most annoying animal humans have ever associated themselves with. Our primary objection is the barking — which can seriously deteriorate quality of life, cause friction with neighbors and involve law enforcement.
There is also the issue of fecal waste being dumped in outdoor public spaces (the percentage of dog owners who pick up their pet’s turds seems only somewhat better than that of cigarette smokers who deposit their butts in garbage cans and ashtrays).
Then there is the issue of dogs invading indoor public spaces where they were rarely seen a couple of decades ago, under the guise of so-called “service dogs.” I’ve seen healthy-looking people bring their smelly mutts into supermarkets and big-box department stores, libraries and public transportation — and I’ve never seen anyone in authority challenge them.
Finally, there is the frequent problem of unrestrained dogs attacking and/or killing people (mostly children), and the owners are often punished relatively lightly because, well, the attack wasn’t commanded, and dogs will be dogs.
This is the other side to the relentlessly cheery portraits you present of dogs.
John Robbins
Everett
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