Dear Mayor and Council of Saanich, and Other Officials:
Looming strict dog-control measures sure make Saanich parks and beaches less fun and welcoming – enough to drive some of us to doggerel.
F. A. Jardine
Saanich
Ballad of the Dog-less Beach
If you go down to the beach today
You’re in for a disappointment.
If you like dogs and watching them play
You’ll notice they’re suddenly absent
You might see Frisbys, herons and crabs
And bodies stretched out on sand
You’ll see toned thighs and shoulders and abs
But poodles and bulldogs are banned
You’ll see Mother Goose, gosling and gander
But no gaggle of dogs in a row
Or jumping the logs or rolling in sand or
Giving the human walkers a show
Now we miss spaniel, alsatian and terrier
At the places they leapt and bounded
The stretches of sand were once much merrier
Now the dogs are chased and hounded
Folks bring towels and a picnic on a tray
And wade where the fish make schools,
But the cheerful pups have been taken away
On a tide of bureaucratic rules
– F. A. Jardine
