Dear editor:

I am a dog lover. That hasn’t changed since I was bitten by a dog this past weekend.

But that bite did provide the impetus for this letter prevailing on Niagara dog owners to ensure, whether via a barrier or a long leash, that dogs are kept safely off the road.

NOTL country roads are a gift to us all. My husband and I are cyclists, and in spring, summer and the warmer weeks of fall, we spend a good chunk of each weekend on our bikes.

This past weekend was no exception. I had designed a route that would take us up to Brock’s Monument, then down to Ferox Winery for lunch.

About five kilometres from Ferox, we were riding on a quiet road between Concessions 1 and 2 when I felt something bump my back wheel.

I startled, and then cursed when I saw a mid-sized dog tearing along beside me. If you’ve spent time on a bike on country roads, you know the feeling.

I unclipped from my pedals anticipating a potential fall and the dog darted in closer. I felt a sharp pain in my right thigh and saw blood.

I stopped my bike and the dog calmed down and wagged his tail, then trotted over to my husband who had stopped riding as well, greeting him with a friendly wag.

I realized that while I had been bitten, the dog was not overtly aggressive. Clearly, in his canine mind, he was just wanting to play.

Here’s the thing, though. That dog, as friendly as he is, was still a menace running loose on a quiet road.

The owner’s oversight caused a whole lot of pain and unpleasantness — and spoiled a lovely Niagara day.

So please, love your dogs, let them run around in your yard, but make sure the yard is where they stay.

Karen Fisman
NOTL