The Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) is currently seeking
input from the community about excluding dogs from ovals.
Given our love of pets and pet photography we are of course
speaking from a biased point of view. We think it is vital that dogs are
exercised and socialised and therefore have access to safe areas where this
can be done. However it is not just from self interest that we have this
point of view. We see that the whole Blue Mountains community (whether you are
a dog lover or not), benefit when dogs and their owners are allowed access
to these areas for exercise and socialisation. Some of our reasons are listed
below and we hope it will make you consider your response to BMCC.
1. Exercise and Socialisation address behaviour problems – Two important things a dog needs are exercise
and socialisation. If a dog is exercised many behaviour problems (such as
barking) become easier to address. An exercised dog is content to be at home
alone while you are at work. An exercised dog is a happy dog. Socialisation is
another vital aspect of a dog's life– dogs need from an early age to come into contact
with other dogs as well as other people. If a dog is properly socialised he
will know how to behave amongst other dogs without causing fights. Furthermore
and more importantly if a dog is used to all kinds of people and activity
around him, it will be less likely that he will be aggressive towards humans.
2. Everyone benefits when dogs are socialised and exercised –
It is not just dog owners who benefit from a well exercised and socialised dog.
Neighbours and all who come into contact with a dog will see the benefits if
dogs are exercised and socialised more.
3. Creating stronger communities – When not in use for
sport, which is a large percentage of the time, ovals have the potential to be a great community area. It could be a
place where many people use a shared resource together. It could be a way of
uniting different areas of the community and could be a place where people from
different walks of life co-exist happily. It could provide an area to exercise so
that people have a healthier lifestyle. There could be a huge benefit to the Blue
Mountains if ovals were shared by everyone in the community.
Furthermore:
4. Responsible dog owners are just that, responsible – they carry bags
and pick up after their dog. They understand their dog's behaviour and they have
them under control. It is a very small minority that don’t do the right thing by
their dogs and by their community. Punishing everyone by restricting access to
ovals just because a couple of people don’t pick up after their dog doesn’t
solve anything.
5. What other alternatives do dog owners have? Yes we can
walk in the streets but many don’t have footpaths, and often we have to walk on
the road. This is dangerous and even more so if you are walking with your
children or grandchildren as well. Alternatively ovals provide a safe area for
dog walking and exercise. It is also a large enough area for dogs to meet each
other and still be able to have space.
6. Don’t waste the space – ovals are a community resource
and are there for the whole community, not just sporting groups. When sport is
not on, ovals are where families picnic, kids play safely, dogs are walked and
couples stroll hand in hand. I have seen all of this at ovals while walking my
dog and everyone co- exists happily. The majority of the time ovals are lying
empty not being used for sport - What a waste of space and land it would be if
leisure activities such as dog walking were banned from the ovals.
If you are finding it hard to believe that sport,
recreational activities and dog walking can exist all at one time on the one
oval then I urge you to visit ovals in the Sydney area where dogs are welcome.
To name just one, Santa Rosa Park in Ryde is a wonderful oval where the whole
community gets together and enjoys the outdoors. I have been there when sport
practise is going on down one end of the oval, dogs are running and playing off
leash at the other end, and where families are playing, some people are cycling,
others walking and jogging. Everyone exists is harmony and there is a great
community feel.
So how can problems be addressed?:
1. Provide bins and bags at ovals – this is the most obvious
and easiest way to address the dog poo problem. While most dog owners already
carry bags and pick up after their dog, it will solve the problem for ones that
have forgotten a bag or don’t want to carry a poo bag with them. Many other councils
have provided these simple facilities for their residents for years, yet this
is not so in the Blue Mountains.
2. Change the undertone of the Blue Mountains community –
Sadly I feel this has to be said. It has been our experience that the Blue
Mountains seems particularly unfriendly towards dogs. While many residents own
and love dogs, there seems to be a section of the community that want to see
dogs gone. I have personally experienced
snide comments being made when I was walking my dog and doing the right thing
by picking up after him. The general undertone (evidenced by reading letters in
the Gazette or watching more and more dog off leash areas being closed) is that
dogs are disliked in the Blue Mountains. The fact that the council is even
considering banning dogs from ovals is evidence enough.
These are just a some reasons why dogs should not be banned
from ovals. There are many more points and suggestions being made on the BMCC
survey website.
We urge you to complete the survey on the BMCC website
before the closing date – 22 April 2013. You can access it by the following
link:
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