Dear Editor,

After reading your article of a cat being mauled by a dog it has prompted me to finally write.

I live in Ross and are finding dogs to be an recurring problem.

I think dogs are beautiful, intelligent animals who can be trained and yet more times than I can count uncontrolled dogs are becoming an increasing issue. They have chased and nearly caught my cats on many

occasions; they have been found completely out of earshot of the owner wandering around the garden and several times even inside my house. The owner usually laughs it off when confronted (if found), and some have even said their dog dislikes and is aggressive towards children. Which unless I keep all doors shut leaves me in constant fear of the young children being hurt in the house or when playing in the garden.

I am not for one minute claiming to be a 'dog hater'. To have an animal is a wonderful privilege, but dogs need to be kept under control. Training is simple and if done in a positive way is beneficial and rewarding for both dog and owner, and in area where there is traffic as well as livestock it’s for the dogs safety too.

Ms Elsie Reed

Ross-on-Wye