We're about to review our Dog Control Policy and Bylaw. These two documents promote responsible dog ownership and help ensure the safety of our community, while also providing for the needs of dogs and their owners.
To set us off on the right foot (or paw), we want to hear from local dog owners as well as anyone who uses our parks, reserves and other places popular with pooches.
Your feedback will help us know where our doggy rules are still working or if any require changes. It's also a chance to check that we're providing the right facilities for our four-legged friends.
Everyone who completes the survey before 1 February will go into the draw for a $100 prezzy card. How pawsome is that?
Councils are required to have a Dog Control Policy and a Bylaw to enforce it, under the Dog Control Act 1996. Our policy and bylaw were last reviewed in 2021 and are due for review again in 2026.
The early feedback we gather now will help Council decide on what to propose for the full consultation scheduled for the middle of 2026.
Whether you provide feedback during this stage or not, you will have a chance to submit on our draft proposal later in 2026.
Our Dog Control Policy outlines how dogs are managed in our district. It promotes responsible ownership, provides for the needs of dogs (such as dog parks), and minimises the risk of danger or nuisance to people and other animals. It covers Government requirements (such as registering your dog) but also contains rules that help meet the individual needs of our district.
To enforce the policy, we need some teeth! That's where the Dog Control Bylaw comes in. It contains rules (and penalties for breaking them) such as where dogs are allowed, the requirement for dogs to be under effective control and how many dogs can live on a property. Check out the full bylaw for a comprehensive list.
Are we barking up the right tree?
Complete a quick survey and enter the draw for a $100 Prezzy card!
What are we looking for feedback on?
We're keen to hear your feedback about anything to do with our current Dog Control Policy and Bylaw. We've listed some of the key things we currently have in our documents below.
Dogs in public places
Healthy dogs need places to exercise, but it's also important that people feel comfortable and safe when using our streets and public areas. Our current rules for dogs in public places include:
Dog parks and dog exercise areas
Council provides a range of dog parks or dog exercise areas around the district. These are public spaces where dogs are allowed to be off leash as long as they are still under effective control.
Current dog parks and exercise areas include:
- Ashburton Dog Park
- Pioneer Park
- Digby Park
- Patching Street Reserve
- Smallbone Drive Reserve
- Devon Park
- Argyle Park exercise area
- Company Road exercise area
- The Green Tinwald exercise area
- George Glassey Park
- Methven Dog Park
You can see these locations on the map below.
You can zoom in, zoom out and move around on the map. If you click on an area highlighted in orange, you can see additional information such as if an area is a dog park, exercise area, or prohibited area.
Prohibited areas
There are a few areas where dogs are not allowed at all (except for assistance dogs). These include:
- Boat ramps and slipways
- Cemeteries
- Playing surfaces on public sports grounds
- Playgrounds, skateparks, paddling pools and playground equipment
- Public council-owned buildings
- Areas with ecological sensitivities including parts of Ashton Beach, the Lake Camp reserve and the Lake Clearwater huts (see map below)
- Areas managed by the Department of Conservation including the shores of Lake Clearwater, Lake Heron and Ōtuwharekai Māori Lakes (see map below).
You can zoom in, zoom out and move around on the map below. If you click on an area highlighted in orange, you can see additional information such as if an area is a dog park, exercise area, or prohibited area.
Please note: This map does not show all prohibited areas in the district. Areas such as playgrounds, cemeteries, sports grounds, boat ramps, skateparks etc are not shown.
