Well, it was hard to resist Linda Lew's closing line from a letter about leash laws and dog etiquette ("Owners can abide by the law without having their dog on a leash," May 31).

"But if you are not a dog owner, I feel for you, because to err is human, and to forgive -- canine."

No question that the forgiveness of dogs is legendary. There is of course the more jaundiced view of canine devotion in the classic words of Aldous Huxley:

"To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs."

Fair enough, Mr. Huxley. But dogs do tend to be more forgiving than people, unless their people are rotten beyond reason. If your dog has ever held a grudge, you've probably got a cat.

Keep those letters coming; the flow has recovered a little. Not sure there's enough for a full page Monday, but the number is getting closer. Thanks for writing.

-- Frank Gerjevic