I find it hard to believe this Government doesn't believe that there is a problem with dogs on the Island! Are Government officials even here on the Island, or are they taking so many unnecessary trips abroad that they don't even know what is going on in their own country? I currently reside in St. David's and work in Hamilton, so it is fair to say that I see a good portion of the Island each time I go to work and return that evening.

At least once a day I will see a teenager, usually about 13 to 16 years old, walking his or her Pitbull terrier without supervision. Now I agree that it is good that these kids are taking care of their pets, but a Pitbull terrier is difficult for a grown adult to handle, let alone a 14-year-old! Dogs are pack animals, so they will establish a pecking order within their pack, the leader of the pack is known as the Alpha dog. The second dog in the pecking order is known as the Beta dog, etc.

This pecking order will also be established when the dog is adopted by its human counterparts. When the dog first enters a new household (or to the dog its new pack) it will establish itself among the pecking order within the family.

If the dog is not disciplined within its new family, or sees no one within the family assuming the leadership role, the dog itself will assume that leadership role and take over the Alpha position within the pecking order.

When this happens, the dog will not obey anyone in the family because it views itself as the leader and should not take orders from anyone below it within the pecking order.

This will occur within all breeds of dogs, but when you are dealing with guard dog breeds, such as Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls, this can potentially become a very dangerous situation.

A 14-year-old handling a Pitbull will have no chance of controlling the animal in a hostile situation if the dog views itself as being higher on the pecking order.

What happens when one of these teenagers Pit Bulls attacks a child or another dog? Is this Government going to wait for a death to occur before they do something, they didn't wait for their old cars to break down before they decided to purchase new larger ones.

However, with all that being said, I don't believe that banning Pit Bulls from the Island is the answer. Being a lover of dogs myself, especially guard dog breeds, at a relatively young age I have already owned two Doberman Pinschers and a German Shepherd.

When I went to purchase these dogs, I was interviewed by the breeders to establish that I had the correct mentality and the appropriate facilities to care for one of these animals. It is also common practice in the US that the breeder retains the right to purchase the dog back from the buyer if the breeder sees that the dog is not being cared for and trained properly.

At this moment the problem is out of hand, some breeders are selling these animals to anyone who can afford to purchase it, and many are being bred illegally and sold.

This government needs to find a solution now, not tomorrow. Start to interview anyone who wants to apply for a breeders license making certain that they are going to be responsible, have the breeders issue reports to the Government on whom they sold their dogs to and what was discussed in the interviews.

These are just some suggestions. It is obviously not my job to write legislation for Government, but it is my job as a Bermudian to inform them of issues that need to be addressed. It is also my right to vote at the next election.

Any of these dogs can be loving members of a family, but they are extremely powerful animals that need to be cared for with a firm hand.

For anyone interested in what can happen in a community with pet over population and owner irresponsibility, read this article posted at www.themestream.com/articles/82173.html BRIAN SIMONS St. David's Supply and demand August 1, 2000 Dear Sir, In regards to the August 1 article, `Affordable housing crisis', I find it most interesting that real estate agents across the Island state there were (are) `ample properties available', and that there are "a ton of one bedroom apartments and properties on the market''. If they're sitting empty becausepeople can't afford them, what does that tell us? Obviously these properties are over-priced, and the vendors/landlords need to lower their asking price.

Market value for any product is determined by what the consumer is willing to pay for it. If no one is willing to pay the price, then (a) the price needs to be lowered, or (b) more needs to be offered for the price.

If we look at the simple economics of supply and demand, if there is more supply than demand, the price drops.

Properties will start to move again when the prices reflect the the income of the market.

Is 60 percent of the asking price not better than 100 percent of nothing generated by an empty property? People have to stop being greedy. I believe that they should get what they can for a property, but they also have to face the economic realities of what can be afforded.

I, as a Bermudian, have no interest whatsoever in owning property on the Island because I have no interest in being a slave to a mortgage. Maybe when prices reflect income, I'll consider it.

DEREK E. FISHER Hamilton Parish