Which predators are we managing?
Over the past year or so, Rossmoor residents have greatly benefited from the hard work and dedication of the Rossmoor Predator Management Team. This grassroots organization founded and led by Dave and Rebecca Lara has seen to it that our small town is safe from coyotes and prepared for property crime. It’s a complicated relationship that our community has formed with this “organization.”
Truly, their dog-squad provides a kind and generous service to us and I for one have enlisted their help numerous times.
However, as a member of this organization and recipient of their frequent e-mails, I have grown concerned about the messages from the team that once united a community against a common threat. Recently, the “team” has turned their efforts to turning neighbor against neighbor via the battle to put-your-dog-on-a-leash.
Few individuals will deny that keeping dogs on leashes is the best way to prevent unnecessary injuries to defenseless pets and curious children. However, in the last few months, the RPMT’s newsletter-style e-mails have taken a turn towards frantic.
They have used the last couple of dog attacks as an example of why our dogs need to be on leashes, irrespective of the fact that the most recent attacks were due to dogs escaping their yard or escaping their owners who had them leashed.
The RPMT further attempts to influence their members through the many, many examples of dog feces left behind by “unleashed” dogs.
I feel I shouldn’t need to point this out, but … everybody poops – including leashed dogs! The poop and the leash are unrelated issues.
Although I find the habit of some rude dog owners leaving their dog’s feces behind reprehensible, it has nothing to do with a leash.
The bottom line is that the RPMT is using examples of dog attacks and feces that both scare and anger their members.
Neither of these issues relate to the leash law, but somehow, the RPMT manages to twist it altogether to create a frenzy.
Does anyone hold this team accountable for the information they share?
They will often attempt to use statistics to prove their points, but the statistics are frequently taken out of context.
For instance they discuss how many children are bitten by dogs, yet they fail to point out that most dog bites occur in the family home and over half of dog bites to children occur when the family dog bites them.
Therefore, the statistics provided should be viewed within those parameters; an important caveat. One must take the information that they provide with a grain of salt.
My contention is that the RPMT does more harm than good. It is histrionic to fear that your next walk to Rush Park will result in your toddler’s head in the jaws of a rabid Great Dane.
You would be better served to worry about Grandpa accidentally setting off the mace can that the RPMT now recommends he carry to “protect himself” from vicious unleashed dogs and their arrogant owners. Further, the rapid-fire e-mails coming out to notify the neighborhood of each and every crime is creating unnecessary fear.
The RPMT fails to realize that they must act with responsibility if they say they speak for us.
Busybodies. With a laptop. And over 1,000 e-mail addresses. Great.
They sign each e-mail “1,000+ RPMT MEMBERS/Constituents & David & Rebecca Lara.”
My question is: Do they speak for you? Because every last hearsay-laden e-mail they send out says that they do. And you thought you signed up to hear about coyotes!
Amanda Lenton is a resident of Rossmoor.
