Had I been a pack of coyotes ...

Steve Kightlinger made an excellent point in his March 30 letter regarding the coyotes and the importance of supervising one's pets. I would like to add to this point by addressing invisible (electronic) fences and the fact that pets need to be supervised at all times while being "contained" in an invisible fence.

Unfortunately, invisible fencing does not keep coyotes, dogs-at-large, nor mischievous people out of the yard. Additionally, they do not always contain the animal when a tempting squirrel or a rabbit runs by, and once escaped, the dog is too afraid to cross back into its own yard and is in danger of being struck by a car. Most importantly, pedestrians are not always aware that this dog is safely contained.

A few months ago, I was riding my bike past a house with an invisible fence, was charged by a "contained" dog, crashed, and lay on the pavement, unable to get up for several minutes. Nobody came to my assistance.

I went back later to inform the homeowner that what had happened to me could have easily happened to an elderly person with worse results. Unfortunately, this woman felt no responsibility for my mishap. However, given the fact that this dog was not being supervised while outside, had I been a pack of coyotes, I would have been able to eat this dog for lunch and still have time to order dessert. I later spoke with my attorney, who assured me that had my injuries been more significant, the homeowner would have been liable, regardless of whether the dog had actually left her property.

Please supervise your pet when it is outside, "contained" in an invisible fence, at all times, if you care about your pet and more importantly, your neighbors.

Rosemary Borzym

Glen Ellyn