Dogfight over ban on canines at Pat Rollo Reserve oval, Frankston North
Canines have happily played on a Frankston North oval for years — until reports some were terrorising children and destroying footballs. Now they’ve been banned, and owners aren’t happy.
South East
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Unruly off-leash dogs have been terrorising kids and bursting footballs at a Frankston North oval, sparking a ban on the animals.
Mothers of children who play at Pat Rollo Reserve say their children are terrified because the “dogs have taken over”.
Mum Chanttell, who didn’t want her surname used, said the ban was essential.
“It used to be an active oval with a lot of kids (but) since the dogs have taken over, they won’t go on — they’re terrified,” she said.
Chanttell said her son’s football had been ruined by a dog biting it, while other parents spoke of “gross” incidents including dogs urinating on sports equipment.
Another mother, Shalina, said: “Balls, dogs and kids — it’s an accident waiting to happen.”
However, furious pet owners from the Frankston North Dog Catch Up Group say they’ve used the oval for years and are tearful and confused by the ban.
Founding member Kathryn Cooper described the 200-strong group as “responsible dog owners”.
“They just want to enjoy part of the open space — they want a safe space they can be with their dog,” she said.
Council officers, dog walkers and representatives of Pines Junior Football Club, which uses the oval, met recently to discuss the matter.
“The objective was to identify how all parties and the broader community could work together to maximise the benefit of this valuable community asset,” mayor Michael O’Reilly said.
Cr O’Reilly said they were working on an agreement enabling dog lovers to walk their pets at Pat Rollo Reserve oval when it was not being used by sporting groups.
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He refused to comment on what had led to the ban on dogs.
Pines Junior Football Club vice president Damien Pusch said the club had not made a formal complaint about dogs or called for a ban.
“We were surprised to see those signs (banning dogs) go up,” he said.