City Regulations Officer Nick Wylie and Mayor Matt Garwood remind us to be responsible and considerate dog owners this summer with help from Arnie, Nora and Lila. Video Rod Thompson
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00:00 So Launceston has so many fantastic recreation areas that people can exercise their dogs,
00:10 but we all need to bear in mind that everyone is a user of these parks and if we can keep
00:16 our dogs on a lead and under effective control, make sure that we have plenty of water, shade,
00:24 bear in mind that if we can keep them on a lead, we can possibly make sure that we don't
00:31 end up with altercations between dog owners because they can be controlled and separated
00:36 if needed.
00:38 Also we want people to carry dog poo bags so they can clean up after their dog because
00:44 if we're going out to have a picnic, we don't want to be, well what's that, you know, and
00:48 have a nice little surprise next to us.
00:50 So the main points are keep your dog on a lead, make sure they have plenty of hydration
00:56 in the hot summer months and to be mindful of other park users.
01:01 We have off-leash areas throughout the Launceston municipality.
01:05 Some of them are quite large.
01:07 Some of them involve swimming areas like Hobblers Bridge.
01:11 The one we're here at today at Heritage Forest is probably one of the most significant off-leash
01:16 areas that we have here in Launceston.
01:18 We have it squared off into three separate areas.
01:20 We have the general purpose area where most people can come and let their dogs have a
01:25 run around and a play and a socialise.
01:28 We also have a small and vulnerable dog area.
01:31 So that would be for dogs that are recovering from operations or have anxiety or behavioural
01:38 issues.
01:39 And then also we have a greyhound area over there where under legislation they need to
01:45 have a separate area to run greyhounds.
01:48 So we have all that here at Heritage Forest.
01:51 Dog owners are subject to the Dog Control Act of 2009.
01:56 So we have the scheduled penalties for different offences.
02:03 Things like dog off-lead, dog attacks at large.
02:08 The best thing owners can do when they're not home is to ensure that their fences are
02:13 secure and that their dog may not get out into the street because that's when the trouble
02:17 happens.
02:18 Yeah, well that's right.
02:20 It's really important that we do that because they're ever-growing and becoming more and
02:24 more a part of families.
02:25 Some people are choosing to have dogs over children.
02:28 You know, they are literally our fur babies.
02:30 So it's really important to have them at the forefront of our minds and thinking again.
02:34 Things like how hot the pavement is, walking on the pebbles as opposed to the grass.
02:39 All those sorts of things is really important.
02:42 It's important to microchip and have them all desexed and of course, yeah, keeping them
02:47 fenced and in safely at home.
02:49 (gulping)