The poop on the pooch patrol

Thanks for shedding some light on the bizarre manner in which the city "controls" its dog population and, by extension, its dog owners ["Doggie doings," Aug. 12].

What the piece does not mention is that Montreal's canine bylaws are the most intolerant and restrictive of any major Canadian city (both Toronto and Vancouver have off-leash hours in most parks within city limits), and are, in fact, nothing more than a cash grab for the city and a hidden tax on dog owners.

For instance, although the Berger Blanc, with its inexcusable euthanasia rate of 78 per cent, is financed to the tune of $450,000 through the purchase of dog licenses, the pound also takes in cats, birds, hamsters, etc. Why should dog owners be the only pet owners to pay for the city pound, which subsequently charges fees for every service they provide?

In addition, the poorly trained and often aggressive summer students who are hired to patrol the city's parks in conjunction with the police seem to be without raison d'être, except to visit random and subjective harassment upon dog owners at 7 a.m., when there is no one else in the parks to pick on.

According to Jacquie Charlton's article, the city reports that almost all dog owners now pick up after their pets, and a police officer from Station 38 (adjacent to Lafontaine Park) confirmed that there have been no major incidents of dog aggression towards humans in recent memory. So what exactly is the Canine Patrol (and police), hired at dog owners' and general tax payers' expense, patrolling?

Perhaps it is as simple as this: dog owners are easy targets, both physically and financially. It is easier for the city to turn dog ownership into a crime and then pretend to solve it through a campaign of intimidation, persecution and ticketing, than it is to solve the larger problems of violence, drug abuse and theft in our parks and neighbourhoods.

--Tess Fragoulis

Fear not Plutonium

Okay, I'm getting tired of this end of the world nonsense ["The sky is falling! Eat seaweed!" Aug. 12]. Everything that happens these days will either kill everything or send us back to the Dark Ages.

About this Cassini thing, people should have: a) taken a chill-pill; b) gone to http://www.jpl.
nasa.gov/cassini/MoreInfo/rtginfo/risk.htm and filled their heads with something other than paranoia. Even the Mirror bought in to this crap without informing themselves.

Nasa performed some 32 missions using onboard nuclear power. Why is everybody crying now? Seventy-two pounds of plutonium can kill everything? How many pounds of the stuff do you think was detonated on Bikini Atoll? Lots--and there are still trees in my backyard.

--Nicolas Longchamps

Carry on lifting!

I was so thrilled by a letter written by "Charles," about men with "lift and carry" fetish [Letters, August 5]! I've had this fetish since I was a child and thought for years that I was alone.

I enjoy being carried by men, sitting on their shoulders. I would be so happy if there was a column in the Mirror concerning this fetish. I've had lots of gratifying experiences, and would love to share them with your readers and read about how other people found out about their fetish.

--Pierre (shoulderlift@hotmail.com)

I read the letter from "Charles" about the lift and carry fetish. My fetish is a little different from his in that I like to carry men on my back or on my shoulders.

I understand that the idea of an actual weekly column devoted to such a seemingly rare fetish might not be of enough interest to your paper. But maybe there are enough of us out there to at least warrant a local Web site for lift and carry enthusiasts--it could offer a letters section, group chats, pictures and information about meeting other lift and carry lovers.

I thank the Mirror for being there for everyone who is just slightly outside of what our society deems as "normal and acceptable."

--Name withheld