I feel bad for all the people involved with the Willard Beach controversy. I feel especially bad for the people who have lived in this neighborhood for years, have great dogs that are totally wonderful and well-behaved, and who have been sharing their beach walk with those dogs for many years.

Many years ago, there were few dogs on the beach at any given time and people seemed to be respectful of where their dogs were and what they were doing. Then the “secret” got out.

Now I feel bad for the people who either don’t have dogs, or have those quieter little dogs, or more timid dogs. Things are really different now. Dogs from all over greater Portland are visiting the Willard Beach “dog park.” I’ve often seen that beautiful beach with hundreds of dogs on it at peak hours of the morning.

The other day when I was at the beach for my attempt at a walk – without a dog, one of only a very few people without one – we counted about 65 different dogs within a 15 minute period – and that was a quiet time. We too experienced the “nice” dog just doing its doggie thing while the owner, also perfectly nice, stood just 15 feet away, but too far to stop that dog from running straight at me and threatening to jump. Fortunately I’m not overly afraid if dogs, but I do consider my body, my space, and would rather not have to defend it each time I go to the beach – which now is almost guaranteed when I go there.

I feel really bad for my neighbor – who I adore, who has the sweetest, most gentle dog ever. I bet that dog doesn’t even “wiz” at the beach, let alone jump on anyone, it’s so innocuous. I feel like I’m punishing her and her freedom and her pleasure when I say that we need a compromise with dogs.

But the fact is that Willard Beach has become a giant litter box for dogs, and I don’t care how quickly you pick up the poop, the urine isn’t being picked up. I haven’t dared to walk barefoot on that beach for years, and I thank God my kids are grown and gone and I’m not contending with dogs out of control, or urinating beside my playing child.

We need to find a good solid compromise and we need to find it soon. Adding hours to when the dogs can roam the beach in summer sure isn’t it.  In fact, how incredibly bizarre that we’d let them on the beach in the morning, just an hour or two before the early bird beach goers arrive – and no high tide often between them. Our city council apparently has little common sense. And apparently the dog owners just don’t see the other side of the coin –they’re not bringing their little children here to sit and play in that sand that several hundred dogs have just urinated in.

I really don’t understand why we aren’t striving hard to create a beautiful real dog park – there are plenty of spaces.

Three cheers for the conversation. I hope we can keep it civil, but clearly there are a lot of strong feelings and a lot of people taking the stance personally. Let’s all try to see a way to compromise and threats don’t count.

Alex Taylor          

South Portland