I’m not yet a full-time Vineyard resident, but except for two years in the Peace Corps I have come here every summer since 1951 for at least several weeks. And since 1977, my wife and I have owned our wonderful cabin on the Chilmark side of the Tisbury Great Pond. During all that time, I have always thought of the Vineyard as a wonderfully dog-friendly place. That is until the past several years. Suddenly dogs aren’t allowed, even on a leash, in a number of conservation areas on the Island, including now Cedar Tree Neck, which owes a good deal of its existence to Henry Beetle Hough, an avid dog fan.

Even the one practically next door to us, the Quansoo Preserve, does not allow dogs in the summer. Supposedly dogs on a leash are going to disturb nesting birds in the fields, not that skunks and other natural neighbors won’t. The same conservation group also bought the one Quansoo beach lot and then tried to ban dogs from the beach and the cut. That lasted about one day because the Quansoo Beach Association does allow dogs.

Even worse than that to me is that last year the Agricultural Fair started banning dogs, except for the dog show. I have taken my dogs to the fair since I was a kid and it was always a fun time for both of us. Apparently there have been some misbehaving dogs recently so all dogs are banned, instead of just dealing with the owners of those few dogs. There are certainly misbehaving drivers on the Vineyard, so are cars going to be banned next? And what is going to happen to Dr. Milkbone and his pet show, one of my favorite events at the fair? And this anti-dog attitude is spreading — now no dogs at the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market, again due to one of two misbehaviors.

In brief, I think all of this anti-dog nonsense needs to be reconsidered, especially with regard to the fair. For a lot of us, our dogs are treasured and loved members of the family, not riffraff to be locked at home or left in a car when we enjoy the Vineyard’s wonderful natural areas and community events.

Mike Rodell
Chilmark