Sir.-I write in response to Mr Godley's recent letter "Dogs a problem for joggers".

While I am an animal lover, I do also take exception to uncontrolled dogs when I am out training. If a dog does not like runners (or indeed walkers or cyclists), or cannot resist chasing them, it should either be on a leash or muzzled.

The owners have a responsibility when in a public place to be in control of their animal - other users of the park, pathway or field should not be intimidated by dogs.

If you are not a dog lover, they can be intimidating and at times frightening.

Having qualified to run off the Elite Ladies start at this year's Flora London Marathon, I was training very hard (55-plus miles a week).

Sadly, months of training and race preparation through the winter were ruined by a dog bite in early March.

While out training, two dogs approached me, so I stopped running. But one of them still launched at me and bit me across my left thigh.

The owner, who was a short distance behind the dog, was very kind and concerned but, nevertheless, the incident did result in me visiting casualty and a seven-day course of antibiotics as well as extensive bruising.

Antibiotics affect your body's natural immune system and the following week I went down with bronchitis as a direct result of the dog bite and effect of the medication.

This led to my withdrawal from the marathon.

To say I was angry would be an understatement - months of training wasted. But, more the point, had I been a young child, the injury - both physical and mental - may have been much worse.

It has made me more nervous of dogs while out running.

On behalf of all runners, walkers and indeed members of the public who just enjoy being outside in the open space, a message to all dog owners has to be: "Please train and control your animal or keep it on a leash - the animal is your responsibility and therefore so are its actions."

-Penny Willson, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke.