Dear Sir, Just over a year ago, I retired from Durham Constabulary as an Inspector after 30 years’ service. Shortly afterwards, I rescued a half Staffordshire Bull Terrier, half Labrador, Millie, from the Dogs Trust at Sadberge. In the past year, I have lost 15 stones in weight, mainly through walking round our great town with Millie, found some great places I’d never been to in my 30+ years in Newton Aycliffe and met some really friendly people. Unfortunately, as is often the case, there is a but. I have also met some real fools, many of whom, I am ashamed to say are fellow dog owners. I believe dogs should be dogs and that where safe they should be allowed off lead and allowed to socialize with other dogs when their owners agree. I have trained Millie to completely ignore other dogs and people on one word of command, “leave”. My reward for this approach has been all too often to be verbally abused. I have also had other dog owners pick up their dogs and several have even turned tail (excuse the pun) and ran away. I have tried to brush this off but at 10.40am, this morning, I hit the straw that broke the camel’s back, as I was walking in an area of open space from Rope Moor Way towards the shops at Cobblers Hall. Millie was walking alongside me off lead, having had the command, when I noticed a young lady with 3 dogs on leads – ironically one of which was a muzzled, pure bred Staffie – who, on seeing us, stepped to the side off the pavement to a distance of about 10 yards. I reassured her that Millie was fine,but she said that her Staffie was not and would bite Millie and, possibly, me if we got too close. I suggested this was a training issue and she agreed, but said it was hard with three dogs. A perfectly civil conversation you might think, as I did, but at this point an older woman, with one dog on a lead, came round the corner and told me to stop threatening the younger woman and that she was going to report me for not having my dog on a lead. (This is not required if the dog is under full control). I was then subjected to verbal abuse from them both. The younger woman calling me “a f*****g old man”, it was the old that hurt most as I have worked very hard to get fit, and the older one saying I was just the type to own a Staffie. She obviously hadn’t spotted what the other party had with her! Well, if being a retired Police Officer with compassion and, dare I say it, common sense is the type, I plead Guilty as charged! I know however that there are many great dog owners and people in this town, so come on the rest of you, let your dogs be dogs. You never know, it might have the added benefit of making you better human beings. George Osborne