Mum’s Sunbury dog fears at Galaxyland

A SUNBURY mum fears for her twins after run-ins with off-leash dogs in local parks.

A SUNBURY mum has raised concerns after a number of close run-ins with off-leash dogs at Galaxyland Park.

Georgia De Vos recently had a near run-in with a big dog while at the park with her 18-month-old twins.

The mother of two said the fact many off-leash areas are not signposted causes confusion for both pet owners and families.

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Taking her daughters to the park several times a week, she said many dogs had come a little too close for comfort.

“I take the girls to the park three or four times a week. Just recently, an american staffy came bounding towards me with no owners in sight,” she said.

“A couple of months ago, a big dog came out of nowhere and I yelled to my husband to grab the girls.”

She would like to see Hume Council put up signs around Sunbury’s parks.

Currently, council officers conduct random patrols of parks and other off-leash areas, but Mrs De Vos said it was unfair to assume the general public knew which parks were on-leash.

“I don’t think it’s fair to assume that everyone would know,” she said.

“I don’t think that’s fair to fine people if there aren’t signs up.”

According to the State Government’s Domestic Animals Act, all dogs must be on a leash outside private premises, including parks without signs.

While the council didn’t say whether or not it would consider signposts, governance manager Gavan O’Keefe said he “understood why parents may have concerns”.

“No dogs should be within 10 metres of playgrounds, barbecues or picnic areas and must be on a leash,” he said.

He said designated spaces around the city — including Sunbury Dog Park — were examples of off-leash areas.

“It is important that owners ensure their dogs are always on a lead and under control when visiting parks which are not clearly marked as off-leash,” he said

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