New dog bylaws too harsh

The recent changes to the Waipā District Council dog control bylaw have left Te Awamutu dog walkers with very limited options for walking their pooches anywhere but a fencedin square paddock and Lake Ngāroto.

The prohibition of dogs at Mount Kakepuku, the peat lakes and sections of the Kihikihi Domain, on top of time restrictions at the Memorial Park, is an example of take with no give and shows little regard for the views of dog owners.

I wrote a submission and spoke to it in front of the council, but I feel the views of myself and others were not listened to.

I understand the reasons for some prohibitions and restrictions but the rationale on some sites is dubious (why are dogs allowed at Lake Ngāroto but not other peat lakes?).

No alternative sites of any worth have been provided by the council to compensate for those lost. This is especially the case for dog walkers who enjoy longer and more strenuous walks with a variety of scenery and environments.

I urge the Waipā District Council to provide and promote alternative sites for dog walkers of Te Awamutu, especially since the council has several locations where they can achieve this, such as council forestry land, the council-owned Sainsbury Farm, esplanade strips and reserves along waterways, and the numerous unformed roads scattered across the district.

The location of unformed roads can be found on the Walking Access Commission’s website and provides new and interesting sites that dogs can be walked on, as long as they are on lead.

Come on council, give us somewhere around Te Awamutu to walk our dogs to replace the sites you have taken away!