Should dogs be allowed in Weston Park?

PlasticScene said :

… I’m amazed by the owners of pit bulls and German shepherds and the like who expect you to be comfortable when they are off leash.

True – and they always assure you that their dog is an absolute sweetheart.
Which they all are, until the day that they aren’t.

I am a dog owner, but I am only comfortable around other dogs when they are leashed. I’m amazed by the owners of pit bulls and German shepherds and the like who expect you to be comfortable when they are off leash.

If I can have my ankle biters on leash, you can put your deadly animal on one too!

canberradogwalks said :

We tried out the new dog on leash rules in Weston Park by following the bitumen path around the perimeter of the peninsula last week with our two roo-crazy whippets. I can assure you that the roos were not the slightest bit spooked by the sight of dogs – and ours certainly showed their interest (which is why I’d never let them off leash near roos anyway). The roos were alert, but not alarmed. They often graze near the dog park fence – they like to tease I think!

In addition to the fenced Yarralumla dog park, dog off leash areas are located adjacent to Weston Park, for example: where the dog friendly cafe is (the Oaks Brasserie); next to the lake outside Weston Park (there is a small dog swimming beach adjacent to Brown Street); and part way up Banks Street towards and including Forestry Oval. You can see where these are, highlighted in green, on the Off Leash Dog Exercise Area Map found on the ACT Government website at http://www.tams.act.gov.au/city-services/pets/dogs/recreation-with-my-dog

For free information on safe off leash areas to walk your dog in Canberra, written by locals, go to http://www.canberradogwalks.com.au

The link to the ACT Government TAMS ‘Recreation with my Dog’ page has another link to an ‘Off leash area map’, which is quite deceptive because it shows large coloured green areas indicating lots of dog off-lead walking space. But then you see on the map that most of the green within central Canberra is actually the lake. Why is the middle of Lake Burley Griffin designated as an off-leash dog recreation area? For off-lead swimming between the islands?
So actual off-lead walking areas are far less than the map indicates.
Also note that the area between Denman Street and Dunrossil Drive in Yarralumla is shown as a green off-leash walking area. This too is deceptive because the whole area here is subject to planned but contentious high density housing development around the Brickworks. The ‘Canberra Dog Walks’ site is a great resource and I hope the group is lobbying to protect existing off-lead walking areas, such as the very pleasant but now at-risk woodland area near the Brickworks.

We tried out the new dog on leash rules in Weston Park by following the bitumen path around the perimeter of the peninsula last week with our two roo-crazy whippets. I can assure you that the roos were not the slightest bit spooked by the sight of dogs – and ours certainly showed their interest (which is why I’d never let them off leash near roos anyway). The roos were alert, but not alarmed. They often graze near the dog park fence – they like to tease I think!

In addition to the fenced Yarralumla dog park, dog off leash areas are located adjacent to Weston Park, for example: where the dog friendly cafe is (the Oaks Brasserie); next to the lake outside Weston Park (there is a small dog swimming beach adjacent to Brown Street); and part way up Banks Street towards and including Forestry Oval. You can see where these are, highlighted in green, on the Off Leash Dog Exercise Area Map found on the ACT Government website at http://www.tams.act.gov.au/city-services/pets/dogs/recreation-with-my-dog

For free information on safe off leash areas to walk your dog in Canberra, written by locals, go to http://www.canberradogwalks.com.au

There is no genuine need to be concerned. Weston Park is not a wildlife preserve and from what I have seen over a number of years of visiting the park the kangaroos tend to congregate in the middle, away from populated bbq areas, while the dogs are generally walked along the shoreline. The can coexist. Give dog owners some credit and leeway too. Enjoying nature, respecting wildlife and walking a happy, well behaved, friendly dog are quite compatible activities.

niknak said :

We support leashed dogs in public parks. Ours behaves when exposed to wildlife in various parts of Canberra, including respecting a pair of beautiful pelicans who were hanging out beside the lake the other day. He doesn’t lunge at, or chase, or bark, at waterfowl, kangaroos, possums, cats, or indeed anything that’s not trying to enter our property.

Kangaroos in Weston Park have been coping with screaming kids and (no doubt) teens and hoons engaging in illicit drinking etc for years. I reckon they could probably cope with leashed dogs.

+1, well said.

and did we really need a second thread addressing the same issue? I suppose it give the whingers more space to complain.

I thought dogs were already allowed there (I don’t have a dog). It makes a lot of sense. The cafe in Weston park is dog friendly (it has dog meals/snacks on it’s menu) and the dog park is at the gates of it. Off leash probably isn’t suitable but on leash is fine. Is there dog beach nearby too?

Makes it a better family area and will increase utilisation. – Dog can have some off leash time in the dog park, kids can have some time on the playgrounds and parents can have a coffee/go for a walk with the dog all in one outing.

We support leashed dogs in public parks. Ours behaves when exposed to wildlife in various parts of Canberra, including respecting a pair of beautiful pelicans who were hanging out beside the lake the other day. He doesn’t lunge at, or chase, or bark, at waterfowl, kangaroos, possums, cats, or indeed anything that’s not trying to enter our property.

Kangaroos in Weston Park have been coping with screaming kids and (no doubt) teens and hoons engaging in illicit drinking etc for years. I reckon they could probably cope with leashed dogs.

There seems to be no shortage of kangaroos other parts of Canberra where leashed dogs are allowed so I’m probably not so concerned. They also don’t seem to mind hanging out around the golf course next to the fenced dog area.

I’m no fan of people using public land to exercise their domestic animals, but I am anything but concerned about the welfare of the Eastern Grey which is a pest species in the ACT.