March 27, 2011
To the Editor,
It seems Mr. Lott is having a bit of trouble grasping the difference between wild and domesticated animals, so I’ll try to break it down into simpler terms for him. Deer, bears, and coyotes are wild animals. Pet dogs are not. In the Northeast United States, deer, bears, and coyotes make their homes in woodlands. This is also known as their h-a-b-i-t-a-t. This wildlife, as Mr. Lott so astutely pointed out, spend most of their time walking, running, sleeping and pooping in these forested areas. Quite a keen observation. On the other hand, I’m sure Mr. Lott would agree that he and his dog spend most of their time walking, sleeping, eating and pooping in and around Mr. Lott’s house. This is Mr. Lott’s habitat. Just as a bear pooping in Mr. Lott’s living room could be considered a slight disturbance of his habitat, a domesticated dog running around, marking territory, pooping and chasing animals can be considered a disturbance of a bear’s habitat. (I would be remiss at this point if I did not point out that, yes, the Pope is Catholic.)
Hopefully Mr. Lott, in his no doubt constant quest to keep himself informed, will seek out the counsel of countless wildlife experts and environmentalists who have recognized that domestic animals can and do have a significant negative impact on wild places. Suffice it to say, scent trails, hunting and feeding habits, and territorial boundaries can all be compromised by the persistent presence of dogs, cats, horses, etc. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this might explain the fact that there are signs at the entrance to all the trails in Black Rock Forest specifically instructing visitors to keep their dogs on leash. Gee, I wonder who would have posted such an arcane rule. Could it be the very consortium that owns and maintains the private property Mr. Lott tells me I’m so lucky to be allowed on? We may never find out.
In the meantime, Mr. Lott can continue flouting that rule, confident in the knowledge that only some non-serious, misinformed fool must be responsible for posting it. After all, his family has been doing it for 50 years, so it must be OK. Seriously, look how long slavery hung around. And besides, Mr. Lott’s dog is a “well-behaved” dog, so rules really shouldn't apply to him…or his dog. (In a similar spirit, I don’t stop at stop signs. I just barrel right through. Don’t worry, I’m a very good driver.) In the end, if my small child is frightened by someone's off-leash dog when trying to enjoy the wilderness, that’s clearly our problem and we just need to deal with it. Hey, we’re lucky to be walking out there in Black Rock as it is, right?
Thank you, Mr. Lott, for being a shining beacon of community-minded politeness and good will. In your ample spare time, you might want to visit the following website: www.blackrockforest.org/docs/about-the-forest/the-forest/UsagePolicies.html
Ted Warren
Cornwall
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