Summer dog problem

Humphry Errington, Tobermory, Mull.

I’m sure if you were to sit down on Oban esplanade for a day you would count hundreds of dogs, particularly during the summer months. But dog mess is already out of control and it’s spoiling a nice walk along the esplanade.

As an older person, this is a real problem. I’ve watched owners letting their dogs mess and they just walk on. Dog pee is just as bad as it marks the lovely granite promenade and is an eyesore.

Out at Ganavan I watched in horror as an owner let two dogs sit on the picnic table while they ate (disgusting), then an unsuspecting family came along and ate off the same table. This is a big problem that has started again and no doubt it will be 10 times worse in the summer months.

When you walk the esplanade you also have to run the gauntlet, dodging dogs on long leads. How people with wheelchairs, prams and children manage, I don’t know. One day an oldie will trip on a dog lead. I nearly tripped over a dog lying on the pavement outside a restaurant while its owners drank coffee.