3 August 2016

Fenced dog area for McEwan Park in Petone

Lower Hutt will have its first space dedicated to dog training and socialisation.

The decision to build a fenced dog park on a section of McEwan Park in Petone was made at last night’s Council meeting following consultation with the community.

Design and construction of the park will not begin until further discussion is held with neighbouring sport groups (Empire Table Tennis Club and NZ Football Little Dribblers) and community concerns raised during last night’s Council debate are considered. These include concerns about the height of fencing, the management and monitoring of the dog park and education of park users.

Council’s Regulatory Services Manager Geoff Stuart says a dedicated dog park in the city will complement the existing dog exercise areas across Lower Hutt.

“This dog park will offer dog owners a place to train and socialise their dogs without fear of them running off. It will also give Council’s Animal Services team space to expand on the 15 dog training session we ran last year.”

A management group will be established to help Council officers manage the park.

Geoff Stuart says “Our research shows that people who use dog parks are responsible dog owners who care for their dogs. Submissions made during consultation on our Dog Control Bylaw earlier this year show there is a great demand for a fenced dog park and we expect dog owners in our city to welcome the new space when it opens.”

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