cowanbree Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I have been asked by our local council for some ideas as to what Council can do for dog owners so I am looking for some ideas. What does your local council do or what would you like to see them do? They are considering a dog park as one idea, what do you like and dislike about your local one - other than uncontrolled dogs of course. I have a few ideas of my own such as low cost desexing but would love some new ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MalteseLuna Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I have been asked by our local council for some ideas as to what Council can do for dog owners so I am looking for some ideas. What does your local council do or what would you like to see them do? They are considering a dog park as one idea, what do you like and dislike about your local one - other than uncontrolled dogs of course. I have a few ideas of my own such as low cost desexing but would love some new ones I would like more dog parks (or parks where dogs are allowed off-leash, could only be during specific times). I would like dog parks to have fenced areas and small dog specific areas (i.e. only small dogs are allowed in a specific fenced area). Also perhaps subsidising or supplying a dog trainer for obedience training in one of the dog parks (weekly events..?). Dog fun days are a good idea :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Same here.. More dog parks, better dog parks... One of our local parks is a great park but it has immature trees and no shade, so it gets very hot in summer time. One lovely lady bought 2 clam shells and put one in each fenced area, only to come back a week later and they were both full of holes (thanks to the local hooligans)... I think if they do dog parks it would be nice to do them in an area that already had good shade... I would like to see more councils working with rescue to work towards them all being no kill shelters (to me no kill means rehoming every dog that is suitable to be rehomed, I realise some are to dangerous or sick to be rehomed, so not all will make it out). More local events where you can take your dog along, so many are no dogs allowed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Bathurst Council has an excellent head ranger and they are big on offering desexing programs and community education where ever they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I think dog parks can be good if they are monitored by a ranger. I realise that whoever deploys the rangers would probably rather spend the money having the ranger do something else though. My local dog park used to have a ranger "supervising" every day at the peak time (after school lets out at 3, until around 5). People seemed to try and control their dogs much more because the threat of getting in trouble with the ranger was always looming. Our council offers goodybags which the rangers hand out when they see an owner doing the right thing (training, picking up poo, walking on lead etc). They also have free dog training and a walking group where people can get together and walk their dogs in company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murve Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 we just did a return trip to Perth, we found at all the Roadhouses were great, they had doggy bags, water bowls ready for the Nomads travelling with dogs, also warning signs up "Please kepp your dogs on short leads, due to Dog Baits are laid out " the baits are actually for the Dingo's. & this is montenored by the Rangers. :D We got to speak to a couple of Rangers/ Dogers, they were great ppl, one Roadhouse is actually looking at erecting an enclosed off leash yard for the travelers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Launceston City Council doesn't offer much for dog owners- a few off-lead parks, poo bags in parks and that's about it. Even just working taps or areas that aren't filthy swamps would be nice :p But anyway.. Free training programs would be great, dog education programs (starting with kids), parks with decent shade, seating and running water (no grotty, concrete troughs filled with mysteriously greenish-brown water), rangers to monitor on-lead parks to ensure people obey the rules (especially if there are playgrounds nearby), low-cost desexing/vaccination programs, better rego discounts for responsible owners (people who train/desex/vacc/chip their pets), regular dog socialisation events, proper educational resources (besides those dodgy council fact sheets). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffyluv Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I just thought of another thing that is an issue here in Quangers - we have signs up in the parks (that are not offlead) to say keep your dog on a lead but they are really high and quite small, so many people disregard them (probably because they don't see them and I dare say there are others who just don't give a rats).. I would like to see better signage stating keep your pets on a leash - to try and stop as many off leash issues as possible (I do realise this won't work on everyone but some might take heed if there are reasonable fines advertised on the signs as well)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nawnim Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I would like my local council to enforce their own legislation and do something about illegal BYBs, roaming dogs, and the behaviour of some owners and their dogs in the off-lead dog parks. We do have off-lead dog parks in the ACT but I don't find them safe because some owners and their dogs behave inappropriately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Maybe I am a weird person but I don't expect the council to provide for dogs in such a big way or much of a way. They are not the dogs owner. Desexing is the owners/breeders responsibility, not the councils. I don't approve of dog parks & know so many people who don't feel safe to use them. I also think all dogs in public should be on a lead because people seem unable to control them loose. Dogs should be welcome everywhere, on a lead of course. It would be better for the dogs. As the council do take our money for dog ownership, which I do think is a waste of time, however I expect them to pick up strays & try & trace the owners, deal with roaming & aggressive loose dogs & have sincere re homing efforts & less euthanasia in the pounds. Places, poo bags, training, health, shade, water, events, vaccines etc are what a dog owner is supposed to deal with. The council will take over all aspects of dog everything & people will obtain & rear & own dogs according to councils rules. It would be interesting to see ahead, say in 50 years, who made the rules. If we own any dogs in the future at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I'd be happy if the local council provided nothing and charged nothing. I don't want extra services because that's just an excuse to up the rego prices (I realise NSW is different to Qld) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Some good ideas. We have a new manager and he is wanting to make some changes which is great. He is already underway with a dog park and wants some other ideas. Great to see HA, what sort of educational resources? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I live in a municipality that I feel is very dog-unfriendly. Things I would love to see here are.... - poo bags in parks (or at least in the off leash/frequented parks) - bins - either fenced areas for dogs or fencing around playgrounds and bike paths so as to keep these areas separate (our local laws say something like dogs can't be off leash within 5m or more of these things but often the off leash area is only 10m wide with a bike path through it) - rangers to be trained and educated in the local laws and how to approach and deal with animals and people - rangers to attend to wandering dogs and reports of people who have dogs that rush/attack/continually in the street/continually leave poo on your lawn - an after hours number for the collection of wandering dogs (I've never been able to get in contact with anything other than a recorded message because it is never business hours when I walk my dogs and encounter dogs at large!!) - some form of reward for pet owners that do the right thing and are responsible pet owners - dog parks that have facilities suitable for dogs not just open space with nothing - drinking bowls for dogs in parks - some sort of program to promote animals in a positive light rather than just "it's time to renew your registration and you'll get fined if you don't" and "dogs are attacking people everywhere" type things (this is the stuff that is usually in my local paper from the council) - some sort of education (maybe even just articles in the local paper or council magazine or a flyer) to promote safety around animals and how to approach animals (rather than just focussing on the owner of the animals which I think is very important but many people have no clue how to safely behave around animals and I think this is something that would be good to change!) - some sort of education (as above) about what responsible pet ownership is - training and formal socialisation opportunities to help promote positive dog ownership I think I might be a bit of an idealist!!!! I do have to say though, I'll be doing a lot of research when I look to move house due to how animals get treated (and animal owners) within the municipality I now live in. My council is currently one where you get to pay your registration fee and once in a life get a plastic tag and that is all we seem to get for the registration fee. I'd love lots of things but don't expect lots - I'd be happy if I saw one or two of the things listed above!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Some good ideas. We have a new manager and he is wanting to make some changes which is great. He is already underway with a dog park and wants some other ideas. Great to see HA, what sort of educational resources? I can think of piles of things I'd like to see :D Clear explanations of all dog-related laws (not everyone has the time or inclination to look them up online and try to decipher the laws) and further, for everything to be included. Tasmania has laws that, so far as I can find, exist but don't seem to be recorded anywhere the average person can find them (I've spent hours searching and not been able to find sources for some things). General health information. Not every dog owner is a crazy dog person. Basic information about preventative care (vaccinations, parasite prevention, etc), basic guidelines for when a dog needs veterinary care (you'd be horribly surprised by how many people think a dog's dew claws growing back into its forelegs is not a health issue), information on basic needs for certain breeds (like longhaired breeds needing grooming- it sounds obvious but trust me, it's not to some people) and basic day-to-day stuff. General dog behaviour/training info. To most of us, the idea of rubbing a dog's nose in its own urine if it has an accident inside is just absurd but plenty of people still believe this is the best way to train. So, basic information that reflects what we know today about dog behaviour, as well as safe, effective training methods, including methods for dealing with some of the common problems (barking, poor recall, pulling on the lead, etc). Directories of services. Vets, approved trainers, groomers, boarding kennels, etc. That's just a couple of the things and if we even got one of those, I'd be very happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic.B Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Low cost desexing, esspecially for families who are low on finances. A lot more education, information, support and contact points on responsible dog ownership, training/stimulation, care needs etc. Heavy focus upon areas which see a high number of dogs impounded. Pre surrender support and education, links to appropriate services. It would be great to see rangers have the ability to scan a roaming dog for a chip and access the data base instantly. This avoids the dog being impounded at all in some cases. Instead of taking the dog to the pound, they are able to be returned to their owners. I know this sounds huge, though a well run private boarding kennel. Families who are low on finances or some considering surrender could have the cost taken off their rates or perhaps offered lower rates. Some shelters in the US are having great sucess with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I'd like our council to do ANYTHING for its rate payers. Off lead parks Bins Poo bags Nice areas to walk Education days Any of those would be appreciated. Ours won't even pick up contained strays after 7pm. Hopeless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixeduppup Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I would like the pound to make desexing a necessity to adopt. I would like more footpaths so you don't have to walk the dog on the curb. poo bags and more bins placed out of the main street areas. Also a secure all day off lead park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Provide doggy bags at dog off lead areas Provide bins everywhere like bus stops and near post boxes. If there were more bins I would pick up more rubbish. Stuffed if I'm going to carry around other people's rubbish for miles - but I will carry it a short way 50m or so to the nearest bin. Provide or facilitate public dog owner and dog training classes where people with puppies can go and learn to train their puppies. Provide rego discount for dogs that are desexed, meet a certain training standard, are microchipped make microchipping compulsory - help renunite dogs with owners. And keep people accountable for their dogs. provide cheap microchipping days and publicise these among their dog owners - especially the ones that are not getting the microchip discount. Enforce the local responsible dog owner rules at dog parks - our council doesn't do this so people think it's just fine to ignore them. It's only other responsible dog owners who yell at them for not picking up or letting their dog run through the playground or sports game that do anything to encourage responsible behaviour. I hate full fenced dog parks - it does make it easy for people to stand around and chat instead of paying attention to their dogs and it doesn't help shared use. Being trapped by a fence also makes dog fights much worse. But it would be nice to have a basic kind of soccer ball proof barrier between busy roads and parks - for children and dog's sakes. Dog fun days to help people learn the rules. These need to be on lead. Our council offers goodybags which the rangers hand out when they see an owner doing the right thing (training, picking up poo, walking on lead etc). I like this idea too. Reward based training. Have drinking water for humans with dog bowls (maybe slow self draining ones for snake prone areas). Keeping weeds, grass seeds, capeweed and clover flowers off the grass areas. Any signs for the dog park rules - should be visible from inside the dog park as well as where you enter them. Our coucil is a bit random about where they put these signs, and depending which way you come in - you may never see them. Requiring all dog breeders to have licences to breed and sell puppies. Whether they have one pregnant bitch or many. Requiring all the puppies to be microchipped, and vax etc. My back yard isn't big enough for my dog to run flat out... so I appreaciate areas where she can do that - even if it's just recalling to me. our council is quite secretive about their dog management laws. For instance I didn't know they had one for dogs on lead in playgrounds. Given we have a large off lead area next to a very well fed unfenced playground (school lunch droppings) - most of us break this one all the time, including parents with dogs and children. They supervise their children but not the dog, or vice versa. We're paying council for registering our dogs. All it seems to cover is collecting stray (but confined) dogs. And then they will try to get you to reunite (call) the owner if there is a rego disk instead. If the dog is not aggressive - it's free to wander the streets. They do provide dog poo pickup bags and some bins, which are extremely well used and stinky. So most of us are doing the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Maybe I am a weird person but I don't expect the council to provide for dogs in such a big way or much of a way. They are not the dogs owner. But they do collect rego fees every year :p When you pay rego on your car, that income goes towards providing you with the infrastructure needed ffor it, dog rego should be no different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Well personally I think forget about everything else until they up the education and promotion of what being a responsible dog owner entails and enforce the laws. Make sure every person in the shire who has a dog has them chipped, registered and that they are keeping them in a secure area suitable for their breed and size, that they know they cant walk them off lead without consequences unless they are in certain approved areas . If they want to then provide off leash parks, poo bags and bins etc great stuff but almost every single day here someone is upset about someone else's dog whch rushes at them or causes them or their dogs grief when they go for walks etc and for me this is the absoloute biggest issue. Put in an off leash park, bins and bags , even offer training and that will provide a service to a handful of people and it wont make any difference to how the ones who need to get it right and are not will continue. If a dog gets picked up off the street give them one free ride home and work with the owner to work out how the dog wont get out again . Work on prevention of problems rather than trying to play around with feel good bandaids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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