Michael at Broadway benefit concert tonight

Oh, man, snivellusfriend, so sorry to hear you have such a fear of dogs, but you're not alone. Part of the problem is owners don't have their dogs properly socialized, and don't have them under control, and that's a irresponsible pet ownership. The other thing is, and it's nothing you can control, but dogs — and all animals with heightened sense of smell — can scent people's fear, and that combined with a owner who doesn't have their dogs under control, most importantly on a leash, makes for a dangerous mix. People with dogs, and all pets really, need to be mindful that their animal might be just fine with them, but you're right, put in a new situation with the owner not interacting with the dog to control it and ease it's stress, it can strike out as a response. It's fight or flight if no other options are given.

Was that dog a pit bull in the photo? It looks like it.There's no denying that pit bulls have a rep as a dangerous dog. They are strong and can cause serious injuries when they are trained to fight. However, what most people don't understand is that pitties are very loyal and affectionate. They live to please their people. If tearing another dog or a person to pieces pleases their owner, that's what they'll do, but they are made to understand that behaving lovingly pleases their owners, they are love bugs.

If you have seen the stories about Michael Vick's dogs seized from his fighting operation then you know that some have gone on to be therapy dogs, and most of those sent to the animal sanctuary where i go to volunteer have been slowly transformed into gentle creatures. It took time, of course, but it can be done and it's just a small step in restoring our compact with dogs.

So it breaks my heart to that the dog can not be what he or she is meant to be: Man's best friend. But unless you know what a dog is like, and you're right to keep a respectful distance.

OK, I'll get off my soapbox. That picture of ME in the park didn't strike me as him being really tense. Just alert and aware that he's in a public place, perhaps wary of getting noticed. The poor guy can't have a moment alone as the rest of us can. And the dog might not have helped the situation because it looked like he was off leash with no one really minding him closely.

I hope that once "Lost" is over, people will leave him alone as their memory of the show fades. I've heard that actors often use their observations of people in helping them develop an acting repertoire. If you're getting noticed by people, you can't do that.