Christmas. Sadly, all too often the initial novelty wears off as the puppy grows into a full-grown dog and becomes a chore, something requiring daily care and attention.

Owning a dog can be a wonderfully rewarding experience. But it also requires the acceptance of responsibility for that dog and its actions at all times.

And, unfortunately, recent incidents in Bermuda suggest that some dog owners are choosing to let their canine friends wander freely both night and day, becoming nuisances to people who have their garbage scattered all over the street, their lawns defecated on, or who are kept awake at night with constant barking.

Aside from the irritation of having to clean up after someone else's dog, there is also the fear factor. People walking down the street have no way of knowing whether an approaching dog is friendly or vicious. Large dogs can be especially intimidating to someone who is afraid of dogs.

Just last week, one of our readers wrote a letter to the editor complaining of how large dogs are being left to wander freely in Hamilton Parish, disrupting what would otherwise be a pleasant morning walk.

Other dogs can be seen roaming in the Woodbourne Avenue area of Hamilton, or along Front Street at any given time of day.

Additionally, there is also the danger of stray dogs being struck and killed by a car. How can any pet lover in good conscience subject their animal to that kind of danger? Most public places in Bermuda require dogs to be kept on a leash, including beaches (during the appropriate seasons) and parks. Violation of that law can bring a fine of up to $5,000 for a first offence and $10,000 for a second offence. Those fines may be applied to "any person keeping a dog'' or looking after one, not just dog owners.

Although fines of thousands of dollars may be rare for letting a dog roam free, the legislation certainly exists to punish dog owners for the transgressions of their pets, particularly where damage to property occurs.

And, anyone who finds an uninvited dog on their property has the right to trap it and call the Police or a Government dog warden, who in turn will detain the animal and require proof of licence and a fee for collection from the owner before returning it.

A number of phone calls to the Government's dog control department went unanswered last week, presumably because the two dog wardens employed by the department were both busy responding to calls about stray dogs. We understand the department at times receives more than 20 calls per week about stray animals.

This should not be the case and wouldn't be if more pet owners were more responsible.

Dogs love to run free and it would be nice if there were more places in Bermuda where they could do that. But if there is a chance that people might be inconvenienced by that, the rights of people have to come before those of dogs. And people who take on the ownership of a dog have to be willing to take on the responsibility that goes with it.