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With the summer holidays upon us, dog owners are encouraged to familiarise themselves with Warrnambool’s on-lead, off-lead and prohibited areas.
In addition to year-round rules, additional seasonal arrangements are in place, including:
- Main beach area (Flume to Breakwater), dogs are not permitted from December 1 to March 31.
- Blue Hole Reserve (Hopkins River Bridge to Mouth, east side), on-leash only from December 1 to March 31.
- Hopkins River and beach frontage (Ski Club), dogs are not permitted between November 1 and April 30.
To make things easier, especially for visitors, Council has produced a colour-coded map.
Warrnambool Deputy Mayor and dog owner Cr Vicki Jellie asked everyone to follow the rules to help dogs and people enjoy Warrnambool’s open spaces.
“Warrnambool is really a great place to own a dog, so get out and enjoy your time with your dog, but make sure you do the right thing,” she said.
“We have off-lead areas, down here at Moyjil is a great spot to let your dog go and have a good run, and there are other areas in the city.
“If you go on the Council website, it shows very clearly where they are.”
Cr Jellie said that while dogs were a much-loved part of many people’s families, it was important to be mindful of others when out in public.
“Not everyone is a dog person. Some people are frightened of dogs so we must be aware of that and make sure we do the right thing,” she said.
“And of course, pick up after your dog wherever you are in the city.
“Having a dog in Warrnambool is great, it gets you out and about, it’s good for your mental health and you’ve got this wonderful relationship with your dog.
“The health and wellbeing benefits are really significant, and if we do the right thing with our dogs, we can all enjoy ourselves.”
Especially popular during summer, everyone is reminded that dogs are not allowed in Lake Pertobe, including at markets.
The dog walking map, and other information about responsible pet ownership can be found at www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/pet-ownership