Dog and cat owners should be considerate

As a homeowner and dog owner, I can almost understand the frustration of the man from Franklin Square who is accused of throwing a neighbor's dog ["Man charged with animal torture," News, April 25].

How many times must a dog owner be told not to walk their dog on private property? What about the rights of the homeowner?

My dog has three places to do her business: my yard before spring cleanup, the street, and nonresidential property. Cleaning up after her is the law. Giving respect to homeowners should be common sense and the law.

As a homeowner, I'm tired of telling dog owners to not use my home as a park. I don't like burn spots on my lawn, and I don't need the mess. For the taxes we pay, shouldn't we have a say?

Let's not forget about people who let their cats roam free and the resulting damage to shrubs. We need stronger laws to protect homeowners from arrogant dog and cat owners. What ever happened to "keep off the grass"?

Patrick Nicolosi, Elmont