A few selfish pet owners spoil for others

I unfortunately, once again (whilst feeding the last remaining feral cat colony on the promenade at La Montagne last night) had an argument with a family who regularly walk their totally unruly  Jack Russel, unleashed, on the walkway most weekends.
On Saturday night, this same mutt “playfully” attacked a three-year-old child playing on his bicycle on the grass outside their La Montagne apartment. This poor child was extremely traumatised by this, and his grandmother threatened to kill the dog if it attacked her grandson again.
Well, come Sunday night, the dog once again did his regular “fun and games” chase of the few cats living there, even chasing some right up the steep stairway to the pool area. This not only upset me (of course), but numerous guests staying at their apartments.
I approached the owner, asking him if he had a leash, and that it was against the bylaws to walk a dog unleashed. To this he replied that he has lived here in Ballito for two years and he knew all the rules. I did explain to him that the original boards stating the rules had been washed away with our high seas in 2007 and never been replaced by our municipality, but this fell on deaf ears!
It is so sad that we have to have a few selfish bad pet owners, that want to ruin it for all the people enjoying our lovely walkway. After all, it always stems back to a bad pet owner, not the pet! Not surprising Ballito have the bad stigma of being “Pet Unfriendly”.
SHARON COSSEY
Ballito