I WOULD never hug a dug. Under any circumstances. I'm not the hugging type (I get that from my parents who had seven children but were not touchy feely if that isn't a contradiction).

I am not a dug person and have never had one.

Now, I realise that I have just alienated half of the readership (Editor's Note: I think you did that a long time ago). I know that half of you are besotted with your pets, no matter the shape or size they come in, and some of them come in pretty weird shapes, to be honest.

It was, therefore, no surprise to read recently that the RSPCA have appealed again to folk not to go out and buy dogs on a whim, or even on a lead.

Last year, in Scotland, 7,000 pets were taken into care and 3,000 were re-homed to dog lovers.

Amazingly, the RSPCA dealt with 136,000 calls about unwanted pets and their centres are always at full capacity. It would be true to say that we have been raining cats and dogs.

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In the same way that I just don't do dugs thousands of animal keepers don't understand those of us who haven't a fondness for the four-legged, sharp teeth, furry things.

I’m not a fan of the trend of sharing local cafes and bars with dogs, particularly when they start barking at one another.

My memory of being brought up in a council housing scheme was that you could hardly play football in the street for the number of dugs running about.

I still shiver at the thought of a big Alsatian biting me on my newspaper round (or was it my posterior) and being barked at as I popped the Evening Citizen (how many remember that?) through the neighbourhood doors.

Since being a recycled geriatric jogger I have found that dugs are a menace. At first, I did my exercise in the caged all-weather pitch at Inverclyde Sports Centre. Suddenly, one day I found it padlocked and, on enquiring why, I was told that owners were taking their dogs in there.

It's fine, of course, when the dogs are on leads as they should be but on numerous occasions a dog, off the lead, has chased me and jumped at the agitated jogger. No wonder I never made the Olympics squad.

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Recently, Largs People Facebook opened up a discussion on whether dogs should be kept on a lead outdoors.

There were almost 150 contributions with the vast majority, including many dog owners, stating a definite opinion that they should be on leads.

One doggy lover wrote: "It depends on the dog, the owner and if the dog has been trained. I let my dog off the lead as she needs to burn off energy chasing a ball. I don't let her approach kids etc, it's about investing time in training your dog. Some of the worst dogs I've encountered are on leads and still the owner has no control."

I've seen that myself, even in the local kennel cafes.

A dad revealed that his eight-year-old daughter has a debilitating fear of dogs, all because two dogs jumped on her tricycle when she was on the prom at the age of two. The owner was apologetic but the damage was done.

In the spirit of leaving them laughing, Charlotte commented: "Dogs no, kids yes... I'm only joking. I would never put kids on a lead; I won't even let them out of their crates."

Regarding the RSPCA statistics perhaps we should follow the lead - no pun intended - of other countries like Ireland, Spain and Holland where a £100 licence is necessary to own a dug.

With the millions of dog owners in the country it would be worth a fortune. Maybe then we could employ more dog wardens and scrape the increasing piles of poo from the pavements.

Thought for the Week: Spiritualist philosophy is that when you forgive, you heal; and when you let go, you grow.

The world's oldest person in 2023 was a French nun who celebrated her 118th birthday before passing over to the great convent in 'the sky'.

As if that wasn't a remarkable achievement in itself Sister Andre was the oldest person to have survived Covid-19. Although isolating she never exhibited any symptoms. When interviewed about the secrets of her longevity her reply lightened my load.

One staple of her lifestyle was drinking red wine... every day! A bit like myself. And what to have with the vino tinto? A platter of cheese, she said.

Lest medical consultants are keeling over at this point I have read enough stories to indicate that "moderate" red wine consumption is associated with reduced risks of stroke, heart disease and other ailments.

An added bonus is that a new study by the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease reported that regular consumption of both wine and cheese is associated with greater cognitive sharpness in later years.

If only I could remember where I left my glass.