I HAVE read with interest the various comments of your readers and their attitudes towards dogs and their owners. They usually take the form of criticism towards dog owners for failing to clear up after their dogs' fouling of our pavements, parks and open spaces - and rightly so.

However, I would like to inject a more positive note to praise dogs and their owners for the good work that they do in our society.

Not only do we now have dogs providing companionship, we have them guiding the blind and acting as hearing dogs for the deaf. We have them rescuing people in avalanches and earthquakes, searching out drugs and explosives and guarding our property.

Last week, however, I saw a man out with his dog on the banks of the River Dane at the back of the Drill Field, who was performing a very worthwhile task, one I had not seen before.

This chap was sending off his seven-month-old dog to seek out and retrieve cans, bottles and cartons.

The dog was being exercised, enjoying himself immensely and performing a worthwhile function, all at the same time. Here was a dog clearing up after us instead of us clearing up after him. Well done that man. If only there were more like you.

BRUCE PARKIN

Weaverham.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.