Dog owners hope Boroondara Council will roll over on off-leash dog park proposal

HUNDREDS of dog owners have signed a petition demanding an off-leash area for their pooches outside of business hours, but it remains a bone of contention for Boroondara Council.

MORE than 350 people have signed a petition hounding Boroondara Council to turn a Hawthorn reserve into an off-leash dog park outside of business hours.

The group are calling for Smart Street Reserve to be made an off-leash area for pooches before 8am and after 5pm each day.

The petition comes after a group of Hawthorn dog lovers was suddenly ordered to stop letting their dogs roam free at the park after more than a year of doing so.

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Resident Vivienne Harkness said a group of about 10 dog owners would meet every evening to have a chat while their dogs had a run around.

But Ms Harkness claimed a single complaint to Boroondara Council sparked a warning to the group to no longer exercise their dogs off lead in the park.

“We admit that taking our dogs off their leads is against the rules, but every time we met there had never been anyone else present,” she said.

“Now we have a beautiful park that looks abandoned.

“The local community all came along and we would have a great time. It was a wonderful time to look forward to each day.”

A group of dog owners who normally gather at Smart Street Reserve with their dogs off leads have been banned after complaints to council. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Councillor Steve Hurd confirmed council officers were currently investigating the suitability of the site as a dog off-leash reserve.

However, Cr Hurd also confirmed objections to the park becoming off-leash had been received by the council.

“The feedback from these residents relate to objections to the idea of turning the reserve into an off-leash area rather than complaints about specific dogs and/or their owners,” he said.

But Ms Harkness called the decision a “no-brainer”.

“It is the only way to make the park accessible to all users,” she said.

“We are only petitioning for dogs to be off-leash before 8am and after 5pm every day, not the whole day.

“We all pay rates and are all part of the community — it is only fair that all local residents’ voices are heard and the options for the use of Smart Street Reserve reflect more than one person’s opinion.”

Council officers will present a report to council for consideration once the investigation is complete.

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