If Fido Has Everything, Why Not a Day at the Beach?

It’s ironic that the March 19 Style section articles were published side by side: the ones illustrating our ambition of turning our companion animals into creatures of a different species, namely humans (“Haute Dog”; “Shop ‘Til They Flop,” by Barbara Thornburg), and another detailing the unconscionable policies of L.A. County that deny companion animals their most basic natural needs--to exercise and run, unfettered, in safe places (“Dog Heaven,” by Ann Herold). This dichotomy is typical of our society and of the chasm that separates rich and poor, good and bad, privilege and want.

Ah, if only the people who buy $150 leashes would get together and purchase nice empty lots to transform into dog parks to scatter all over L.A. County, we would name streets and boulevards after them and have our children include them in their nightly prayers.

Rachel Rosenthal

Los Angeles

*

Dear City of Los Angeles: Why on earth can’t we have a dog beach of our own? You allow vagrants, bums, homeless people, criminals and crazy people on the beaches of Santa Monica, but we can’t take our beloved pets for a Sunday morning run along the shoreline! What harm would it do to have an area set aside for our water-loving pets? We promise to be responsible as far as picking up after our pets, and if we don’t then you can levy a hefty fine on us. Fair enough?

Deborah Fabricant

Via the Internet