Short-leash on dog owners

Re: “Denver should loosen its leash on restaurants,” Aug. 3 commentary

Krista Kafer rightly critiques Denver’s proposed regulations for off-leash dogs on restaurant patios. But the regulations would touch many more people than the few who visit the Watering Bowl.

That is because the regulations would restrict off-leash dogs on all private property other than single family homes. If you live in a duplex, before you could allow your dog to run free in your fenced backyard, you would have to register the yard and get it inspected. And even then your children under ten could not play with the dog off-leash, nor could you eat or drink anything unless your dogs are secured to a rope. Violators could be subject to a $999 fine. Kafer compared the city of Denver to the USSR, but a better comparison would have been to North Korea. James Bertini, Denver