SIR — We have just returned home after a week's holiday in Watchet.
As we previously lived in the area, we were looking forward to taking our dog for a walk on the recreation ground and going to one of the local cafés we had frequented in the past with our pooch.
We were really disappointed to find Watchet so dog unfriendly!
We enquired at several cafés and were told repeatedly no dogs allowed. In one café my husband was not even allowed through the doorway (intending to ask if the dog could come in) and was verbally admonished sharply that dogs were not welcome in the establishment.
We did have more success in taking our spaniel into the Star Inn and also had a warm welcome at the Driftwood Café in Blue Anchor.
More than half the households in the UK have a dog and most are well mannered and looked after by their owners.
Indeed the ones that are walked and taken with the owner to pubs and cafes are the most socialised animals and therefore they are better behaved than those who are left at home or in a car.
Owners of cafés and pubs have the same right to turf out an upsetting animal as they would a human upsetting patrons.
My point is that whoever is upsetting patrons in an establishment man or beast (and from my viewpoint it is more likely man) the owner has the right to ask them to leave.
I have seen children do more destruction to a place than a dog but children are not generally barred from these eating establishments.
In my home in East Sussex there are fines levied when owners do not clean up after their pets. It only takes a few of these fines given out and the word gets around and people comply with the law.
On our next visit to the West Country we are unlikely to visit Watchet due to the negative experience we have had during our visit in comparison to the positive experiences we have had with our dog in the other surrounding towns.
Our tourist pounds will go to where we are welcomed with our dog.
The Baxters,
Links Drive,
Bexhill-on-Sea.