SIR – Re the obligatory column on dog poo in the T&A (January 22). How sad that David Barnett had to commit a whole column to this subject!

There seems to be a vendetta against dogs and their excrement.

We have a field at the back of us which contains horses, sheep and cattle, but there is no sign to say ‘beware of the muck’, only a sign saying ‘beware of the dogs’, asking for the owners to kindly clear it up. With all four animals going, how do you know which is which?

Unless we consider that farm animal excrement will eventually rot down and do the land some good, whereas supposedly dogs’ doesn’t, I think the crows and other birds would be a bit miffed if all the dog poo disappears, because that is one source of meat they like to digest.

Mr Barnett goes on about going for a walk and side-stepping little piles. Maybe he could ask the humans to pick up the old bicycle tyres, the tin cans and broken bottles, or doesn’t this come into the equation?

You can always remember that it does wash off, it’s not there forever, and yes, there are a lot of responsible dog owners out there, me included.

W Clarke, Pengarth, Eldwick