Council provides designated on-leash and off-leash areas for the exercising of dogs and with the support of community volunteers, we now have a fully fenced exercise park in both Te Aroha and Matamata. A suitable space for a fenced area in Morrinsville is yet to be defined.

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of dogs in our urban areas which means these designated spaces are being well used.

New Zealand’s Dog Control Act 1996; states the legal obligations of councils and dog owners. There are nine requirements for dog owners which covers compulsory registration and the provision of the dog’s welfare, including being under the direct control of the owner at all times. This means the owner must ensure that the dog is under control at all times in public spaces including off leash areas.

Councils are required to identify designated on and off leash areas, and areas where dogs are not permitted. For example, our district’s Dog Control Bylaw does not allow dogs to be within 15 metres of children’s play areas or individual play equipment, noting that there are some parks designated as off leash areas with a playground within them. Nor are dogs permitted to foul in a public area or on land that is not the property of or occupied by the owner. When this happens, the owner must remove the excrement and deposit it in a litter bin with a plastic liner (or take it home with them).

There is increasing concern that these rules are being flouted by some. This includes throwing plastic bags containing excrement under trees or putting them in kerbside recycling bins that do not belong to them (and neither the bag nor the excrement is recyclable). People are running their dog off leash in areas where it is not permitted, and what is becoming of greater concern is that while dogs may be within an off leash area, the owner is not in direct control of their dog.

Dogs can be exercised in a designated area as long as they are under the control of a person capable of physically restraining them, visual contact is maintained ( i.e. the owner knows where they are at all times), and the owner has verbal control over the dog. In other words, the dog responds immediately to voice commands.

It is extremely upsetting for those who experience their dog being attacked, and sometimes killed in these spaces. I have heard of people who have resorted to carrying a stick because they fear for their dog and their own safety. Animal Control staff have also dealt with attacks on other animals including cats, chickens, pet rabbits and sheep where dogs have roamed at night. We are asking that owners, please keep your dog(s) secure in their sections, and if they cannot control their dog by voice command while walking it then, keep it on a leash.

Dog owners, please be considerate of others by securing them on your property and keeping them under direct control while exercising them in public spaces. This will avoid the risk of needless anguish and distress due to the harm that could be caused by your dog. It’s also worth remembering that not everyone likes dogs, and some people don’t like dogs approaching them.

This article is by Mayor Adrienne, it appears in Matamata Scene, Letters to the editor, 23 July 2024 and Morrinsville News, From the Mayor's Desk, 18 July 2024.