Fine claims deepen a doggy paddle drama

BIZARRE threats of fines have been made against pet owners letting their dogs swim without a leash in a creek beside a popular dog park.

About 500 people have signed a petition calling on Cairns Regional Council to call off the dogs after a crackdown on unrestrained pooches outside a designated off-leash area at Goomboora Park. But it appears council officers may have been acting outside their authority.

The waterway, Freshwater Creek, is a state government asset and as such the council cannot enforce its own rules when dogs take a dip.

A council spokeswoman denied any fines had been threatened against pet owners.

“Officers have approached some owners who have been walking their dogs off-leash to remind them of their responsibility to keep their dogs onleash unless they are in a signposted off-leash area,” she said. “No fines have been issued in recent visits.

“The creeks surrounding the park are outside of council’s jurisdiction and the requirement for dogs to be kept on-leash cannot be enforced.

“That said, owners are asked to always ensure they are in control of their dogs in public spaces.”

Redlynch woman Amanda Irving, who visits the park with her dog every day, called on the council to apologise to pet owners who had been wrongly targeted. She said keeping swimming dogs on leashes increased the risk of entanglement and drowning.

“People have been told not to have their dog on the bank or in the creek without a leash,” she confirmed. “I came to the conclusion that it must have been a mistake.

“It is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

“It means the owner would have to be in the creek, holding their dog.”

The council said owners needed to keep adequate verbal control over their pets in off-leash areas, and be able to physically restrain them if needed.