Market to trial dog-minding

PARKING in popular Salamanca can be tricky at the best of times but not for our canine counterparts, thanks to a puppy parking station to be launched by the council this weekend.

The Hobart City Council and RSPCA Tasmania have teamed up to provide a dog minding service for Salamanca Market patrons who want to bring their pooch.

A no-dogs policy at the market came into effect recently, Hobart City Council community, culture and events committee chairman Bill Harvey said.

“While working to inform local dog owners about the new policy, it was suggested that rather than a blanket ban on dogs at the market, we could look at providing a safe and dedicated area where people could leave their dogs and go shopping at the market,” he said.

A six-week trial begins this Saturday and will run from 10am to 2pm on the Salamanca lawns at the silos end of the market.

The service can cater for up to 20 dogs at a time, for the cost of a donation to the RSPCA, for up to two hours.

“We’d like to see a bit of a turnover — don’t just bring your dog and leave it here all day,” Ald Harvey said.

RSPCA chief executive Andrew Burn said volunteers would keep the dogs watered and comfortable.

“We love seeing people get out and about with their dogs and this is a good opportunity for us to talk about other things regarding animal welfare,” he said.

Salamanca stallholders association president Kasha Siena said the service would make a safer market for all.

“I have witnessed dogs take a pee on merchandise and trying to lick children’s ice creams and it’s not great for them either because they can get stomped on in a big crowd,” she said.