Dog owners behaving like animals

The Pooch Park skirmish that has exploded in the Reader's Comments section of the COURIER was certainly an unfortunate incident and could have been avoided.

Both dog owners involved in the altercation reacted poorly during the incident and their continuing attacks through letters to the editor are not helping anyone.

The dog park is for all people and their pets to enjoy, get exercise, spend some time outdoors and socialize, regardless of what city you're from or your background.

The 2 dog owners in this case, David Null and Leonardo Reyes, need to take responsibility for what happened rather than continuing to sling insults at each other.

Pooch park regulars have told me that it's not wise to have your dog on a leash in a park where all the other dogs are running freely. Other dogs will see that the dog is restricted and can interpret it as a sign of weakness, causing them to attack.

As a Pooch Park regular, Null should have known this. His dog was recovering from surgery and had no business being in a park with lots of other dogs running around.

He should have kept his dog in the western portion of the grounds in a separated area that is specifically reserved for smaller, older or more timid dogs.

Reyes was also at fault. He elbowed Null very hard in the chest while they were trying to pull their dogs away. The pain from the injury got so bad, Null went to the hospital later that night because he was worried he might be suffering a heart attack. I'm not sure this is the type of behavior Reyes wants to teach his children on how to resolve conflicts.

I understand that pets are like family members, and pet owners are very protective of their animals. But it's time for those involved in this incident to move on. Bruises and bloody noses will heal. While the dog fight was unfortunate, hopefully the dog owners and observers learned how to avoid a similarly ugly incident in the future.