I FEEL I must respond to C. Sanders' letter about the 'fault' of runners taking her dogs by surprise and being lucky not to be bitten.

Well, as a keen runner myself, can I put forward another side here? I encounter this situation often and although I have come close on many occasions (been chased, intimidated, snarled, growled and barked at and rendered motionless for fear of provoking the animal further), I always find this extremely worrying, nerve-racking and dangerous.

It frequently 'ruins' my runs when I am aiming at a specific pace and have to slow down or stop entirely. Early morning or late evening runs are worse when it is quiet, owners allow their dogs more freedom and as one of fewer pedestrians around I am more of a spectacle for dogs.

I'm sure any runner who values their health is happy to give them as wide a berth as is possible, but we can't just end our run and walk past any dog within 100 yards - if I'm on a trail or towpath I'd barely be running at all.

I've even considered carrying a small bell to alert walkers and dog owners when in audible distance, and I sometimes clap quietly to serve this function. But is this really my responsibility when I'm occupying a footpath designed for pedestrians (not wild animals)?

What does C. Sanders suggest we do? Foot and towpaths are narrow- should we run in the middle of the road to pass?

As liberal as I am and as much as I love animals I'm afraid to say that the responsibility to ensure the dogs are trained and under control lies with their owner. If there is a chance that they will bite if taken by surprise then they should be under extremely close control and if necessary either muzzled or exercised on private land.

I find the comment that it was "just a matter of luck that my dog did not attack this man" laughable; the runner was doing nothing wrong apart from looking after his health - but apparently he was lucky not to be bitten by a wild animal! (On the plus side can I speculate, though, that If I feel the urge to bite someone when they make ME jump then at least, presumably, it won't be my fault).

When you take on the keeping of a dog you are accepting many huge responsibilities, and being able to guarantee the safety of law abiding people that happen to come within the proximity of your animal is one of them.

As a runner I feel very strongly that I should have the right to enjoy my hobby without the constant fear of being attacked by the dog of an owner who won't fulfil their responsibilities.

Martin Harrison, address supplied