I hate dogs and if any politician sends me another photo with their dog I will refuse to vote for them as long as the dogs of the affluent get better health care than the children of poor humans.

This is a hoax, right, the part about a canine column? ACC is not really going to the dogs is it? The amount of money that people spend on pets is deeply disturbing. By dedicating column inches to puppy fashion and beauty, ACC becomes an enabler to this twisted lifestyle. Say it is not so.

Howard, dogs, dog parks and dog lovers are becoming part of St. Louis' identity, in some strange way indicative of its rebirth. It would seem that a lot of young people moving into the city are bringing their dogs. I personally don't have the kind of disposable income to buy and maintain a popular toy breed, but nevertheless, when trying to cover culture and politics in St. Louis, its impossible to ignore.
I obviously see your point about the amount of money people spend on dogs, when that kind of money could be spent to fight more pressing social maladies, but many St. Louis businesses are thriving because of this growing phenomenon that shows no sign of slowing down.

Younger people are owning more dogs, larger dogs, not one big dog per person/couple but two big dogs. Big dogs need big space to run. Dog parks are more about socializing than giving dog owners a large space to let their large dogs run. Instead, dog owners are using public parks and public school grounds for dog runs.

Dogs off leash are a growing public safety and health problem in both private and public property. A dog owner with dogs off leash is a dog owner not cleaning up the dog feces. There is more and more dog feces being left in parks and on sidewalks in front of homes or front yards where no dog lives. Dog feces are very unhealthy to both humans and plants. An owner with dogs off leash is not in control of the dogs and is not restraining the dogs from menacing activity with children, adults, other dogs, wildlife, and keeping the dogs from ruining landscaping on private property and plantings in public parks. More and more dog owners believe they are above the law. They know that there is almost no chance they will ever be caught violating city ordinances and even less chance that they will be fined.

There is a growing monument to irresponsible dog owners located on the southwest corner of the parking lot 12th @ Allen. In the summer, it is highly aromatic.

I would not let a child play on the Mallinckrodt school field off of Hampton across from the police association hall. Too many irresponsible dog owners use that field.

As for the business end, it is mighty darn irresponsible to sell products that enable dog owners to violate city laws: leashes bigger than six foot tether, throw toys that require a dog to be off-leash.

Howard,

Do you own a dog, and have you ever been a member of a dog park? I am part of the contingent of which you speak, and I can tell you this much about myself: I am part of a couple that owns one dog, who is well trained and tended to. We pick up our dogs' feces on walks and in the park. We were part of the CWE Dog Parks, and I can tell you that for me, at least, going to the dog park was an essential part of exercising our dog, and that my participation in the dog part was not mainly about socializing.

Unfortunately, I am also currently in the category of law-breakers of which you speak. I regularly take my dog to the local park to play catch -- our yard is too small. If there was a dog park nearby where I could take my dog, I would not go to the park any longer.

Finally, dogs need socialization with one another. Even if an owner loves their dog very much, and gets it all of the play and exercise it could possibly handle, it is still not good enough. Dogs are pack animals. Could you imagine a life in which you were not allowed or able to interact with other humans?

Finally, my partner and I do not spend a "deeply disturbing" amount of money keeping our dog. Some people may; but when it comes down to it, the basic expenses of food, occasional new toys, and adequate veterinary care are minimal at best.

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"Younger people are owning more dogs, larger dogs, not one big dog per person/couple but two big dogs. Big dogs need big space to run. Dog parks are more about socializing than giving dog owners a large space to let their large dogs run. Instead, dog owners are using public parks and public school grounds for dog runs."

Eric confirms the problem. I hear a lot from younger owners of dogs about their entitlement to let their dogs off-leash because they don't have a sufficient yard or a handy dog park. No sympathy from me. If I own a sports car but do not own my own track, I am not entitled to take her for a spin on a public street to see how fast she'll go. If I buy fireworks and bring them into the City, I am not entitled to use them here. If I buy my grandbaby a paint ball gun but don't want him using it on the side of the house or garage, he is not entitled to use it on public property. If I want to share with the world my artistic talents or political messages but have a cash flow problem, I am not entitled to use board-ups, private garages, public spaces to show off my stuff. I am not entitled to throw a loud party into the wee hours and keep the neighbors from getting a good night's sleep. We're not entitled to do a lot of things that, sadly, a lot of younger citizens seem to think they are entitled.

I have owned dogs for likely longer than Eric has lived. Those were the good old days when you fed dogs table scraps and Chuck Wagon, leftover grease ladled on top. People once owned dogs that had jobs and lived in yards with a dog houses. If it got really cold out, there was a porch or a garage we'd put the dog in. We didn't have door bells. Dogs would bark when company arrived. Dogs protected our castles from neighbor kids or others up to no good. Dogs chased rabbits and squirrels away from your little garden patch. Dogs went with you on male bonding trips, were hunting dogs or dogs that barked attention to a snake when you were fishing. We didn't have dogs that went to beauty salons. They got hosed down whenever we washed the car. We didn't buy toys or birthday/holiday gifts for dogs. Dogs would find their own goodies, usually a nice stick. Smaller dogs did OK exercise wise with just the yard. Bigger dogs had to be walked and run on a leash. If you've got a dog that needs to run, you better be up to running or have kids up to doing the job. Once you don't have either option, you need to get rid of the dog. That's the way I see it. I do not have a dog because I do not have an appropriately sized fenced yard and at my age I would not own a dog without one.

I don't know what Eric means by "well trained dog" but I hear a lot from dog owners about how it's OK to let their dogs run off leash because they are "good dogs" that would never cause any trouble. I have seen really, really good dogs go bad when they are sick (just like humans, dogs get irritable when they don't feel well) or when they come across something new (duck, hawk, fox, opossum, wheelchair, crutches). I've seen happy go lucky good dogs break from their off-leash playtime with owners and knock over a child and an elderly woman on sidewalks and causing injury. I've seen an obedience school graduate stop playing catch and go chase after a fire truck till it was hit by a car.

I don't doubt that Eric cleans up after his dog. But I am really confused by the number of dog owners that manage to walk into a public park with the cleanup grocery bag and leave with the bag unused day after day after day. Someone should look into this canine constipation epidemic. I am not so confused by the dog owners who, when confronted about failing to clean up after their dogs, say that their dogs didn't do it or that they aren't cleaning it up because dog feces is good for the soil. No confusion there. They are liars and idiots.

Eric sets a bad example for others when he lets his dog off leash in a public space. He signals to other dog owners that it's a good place for that sort of activity.

I have owned one dog at a time and two dogs at a time. To be honest, I never thought about their happiness other than knowing they really liked grease on Chuck Wagon.

Americans spend an outrageous amount of time and money on dogs and cats. The mammalian pet economy is something like $30 billion a year in this country. Dogs and cats live better than many children in this city, state, country and live better than most children in quite a few foreign countries. That's all wrong.