Vox Pop: - Real Problem

     We have three children, one dog and a fenced back yard.  It should  be fairly easy for us to keep our dog off the streets, shouldn't it?
     If each of our youngsters has several friends over to play (and the only thing un- usual  about  this  situation is when it doesn't happen), that adds up to nine noisy, energetic, undersized indi- viduals  who  not only fill our back yard, but our front yard, the neighbors' yards and any rooms in the im- mediate cluster of houses where they  can get a drink of water.
     Did you ever see kids re- member to shut the gates and the doors?
     Our dog feels it is her personal duty to romp with the kids. She waits for them to get home from school. When they  go out of the yard to ride their wheel toys on the sidewalks or chase one another down the block, naturally (as an exclusive member of the club)  she goes with them. She stays with them, too! That is, un- less she  sees  a  cat.  Then she momentarily forgets her loyalty and acts just like a dog.
     There is quite a bit of conversation around here about Mama and Daddy go- ing to jail  and  being fined, if our dog runs loose. With all the worry  and all the talk, the gates remain open and the doors bang, but do not latch, because somebody forgot. That somebody is always sorry and promises not to do it again.
     So come and get us, who- ever is in charge of arrest- ing leash law violators. Though we have every in- tention of keeping our dog inside, unless leashed and chaperoned, there she is, prancing down the sidewalk, tail wagging, eyes shining, barking happily as she fol- lows a tow-headed, dirty- faced little boy on his after- noon adventures.