Mailbag: Rescuing dogs should not come at expense of other species

On a recent morning I encountered three, large, off-leash dogs at the Marine Stadium in Long Beach in a beach area clearly marked no dogs. Three other off-leash dogs were allowed to run untethered in the parking lot. Long Beach has a large area of beach officially given over to dogs, and yet pet owners demonstrate a disregard for the law and other people.

I live in a community where dog ownership appears to be some type of status symbol, creating a social network of owners who, admittedly, gain pleasure from a sense of being a “rescuer,” or providing a “loving family member” for the household.

I live in a community where homelessness (not of dogs, but rather humans) continues to increase. As a nation that spends billions on pets, we continue to struggle with finding a solution for the human condition of poverty, illness and ignorance, which leads to the suffering of millions of those without the basic human needs being met.

Upon retirement, I became involved with a wildlife refuge, one dedicated to providing a safe stopping point for the endangered least tern. I have experienced first-hand the care that is given to maintaining their nesting bit of sand, which is part of their migratory journey. As a refuge volunteer, I know the protocol required when working at the nesting site, and, a dog beach near a nesting site is not conducive to the success of migratory bird protection.

Science supports the proposition that dogs (and cats) are domesticated, predatory, animals. Since 95% of the nesting locations along the California coast have been converted into recreational beaches and harbors, is there any wonder that the fence around the tern nesting site is not needed? Free running dogs have no place in proximity to a migratory bird nesting site. Our entitled dog owners would soon invade whatever space is left for the birds.

Joe Lazzari

Seal Beach

An O.C. connection to Tom Hayden

I worked with Tom Hayden (and his wife at the time, Jane Fonda) twice. First, in 1982, when he ran for the Assembly and second, in 1986, on Proposition 65 (the clean water initiative).

As a way of raising money for Hayden’s race in ‘82, I came up with the idea of an Andy Warhol portrait of Jane. The first 50 prints sold for $2,000 each, and the last 50 prints for $3,000 each. Yes, Democrats in Orange County helped raise $250,000 for a candidate local Lincoln Club conservatives openly called a traitor. As far as I am concerned, it was nothing short of a miracle.

RIP, Tom. You taught us well.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach