Dog owner slapped with $800 fine for little-known leash rule

"I think the council's been very unjust, where are all the clarifications about these new laws?"

A small business owner has hit out at her local council after she copped a $808 fine for not abiding by a little-known dog leash rule.

SoRobyn, who owns a fashion boutique in Queensland, took to TikTok to explain what happened.

She says she was sitting outside her store with her Blue Heeler, Violet, when council workers came by to give her a 'warning' as she was holding the leash around her foot and not in her hand.

They claimed her dog was not under "effective control in a public place," but she said they had just let her off with a warning, not a fine.

However, the following week, she was shocked to see she had been slapped with a hefty fine and has since taken to social media to ask for support.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

Image: TikTok

RELATED: Horror as 4yo’s face is mauled by dog on playdate

The little-known leash rule

Sitting outside her store where the incident went down, Robyn explained, "My dog, Violet, was just here, and the lead was on my foot, and the council officers came around and spoke to me about the dog. I said, well, you know, this is property that I rent, that I pay money for, and they said, your dog's not being held responsibly. And I said, but she's on a collar and a lead. Anyway, they proceeded to talk to me. They're always dressed in extremely dark clothing, dark hat, sunglasses. So, my dog is deaf, and she actually got a bit frightened by them. She sensed how I was being spoken to."

"Anyway, she told me that this would be a warning and that it wouldn't be a fine issue," she continued. "So then, on the Monday after that, when doing my emails, an email was sent, and this lovely lady had decided to then reverse her decision and impose an $800 fine. Hence, I become extremely upset. I explained to her that we are lucky to keep our doors open in such tough times, and I said to her, you also told me that this was a warning, and now you're imposing a fine, and she said, oh, sorry about that.

"So, you really think that it's fine for a council person in that position to turn around and tell someone this is a warning, and then three days later, to serve a fine on a business that's lucky to survive at the moment?"

Robyn then suggested that the council was misdirecting its resources and efforts in the area where she has her shop, Moffat Beach, on the Sunshine Coast.

"What is our council doing for this area? And where are all the clarifications about these new dog rules? The dog has a collar and a leash, so we need some more definitions."

She then flips the camera to show a busy intersection in front of her shop where there are four stop signs. "Now, the majority of cars never stop at the corner and there are women and children crossing the road, there's no foot crossing here, but instead, they go out and waste their time and pick on someone like me.

"I think the council's been very unjust, I'll be fighting the fine, I won't be paying it, I'll be contacting the mayor, and this will be going over every social media channel possible. So, I'm asking everyone to give me some support, and support your local business, and having the dog on the leash and the collar, over here, in this area, which I pay rent for, and the council wants to impose an $808 fine. Where's the support people? Come on, I really need it."

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

RELATED: Wild message written on bin at Newcastle dog beach

"I wish they'd do better"

In the comments, locals and Aussies alike reached out to support Robyn.

"Your dog is so cute, we walk past with our dogs and it never moves, never barks! Council need to get a bloody life," said one local.

"Not great about the warning switching to a fine," a second person added.

"Councils are terrible when it comes to dogs. I’m in a different area, but I'm behind you," a third backed.

And a fourth said: "Bloody hell, that's ridiculous."

Someone else made the point: "Dog laws need to relax, not get stricter, especially as more people are choosing to have a dog over a baby. I’ve been in a cafe and watched someone change a baby’s nappy on the table and put it in a pot plant yet I can only take my dog to one beach close to me and there’s so many places she can’t go and lots of bubblers in my area don’t have dog bowls. I wish they’d do better."

So, what are the new rules in the Sunshine Coast?

According to the Sunshine Coast Council's website, the 'effective control of dogs' rules were updated on July 31st this year after receiving feedback from the public and stakeholders.

The new rules state:

In a public place (other than an off-leash area) the responsible person for the dog must be able to physically control the dog:

• by restraining the dog on a leash, or
• securely tethering the dog to a fixed object and be supervising the dog, or
• keeping the dog in an appropriate temporary enclosure and be supervising the dog.

The State Government has updated the penalty for not effectively controlling your dog in a public place. From 31 July 2024, an on the spot fine for not effectively controlling your dog in public will be $806.

Originally published as Dog owner slapped with $800 fine for little-known leash rule