Off-leash dog parks open in Drouin, Trafalgar and Warragul

Off-leash dog parks open in Drouin, Trafalgar and Warragul

Published on 15 June 2020

Baw Baw Shire's three fully-fenced dog parks are now open, offering dogs with a chance to enjoy some off-leash adventures.

The three fenced dog parks are located at:

Bellbird Park in Drouin, located on the corner of Shillinglaw and Settlement Roads. Brooker Park in Warragul, located in the central park area. Hollydell Park in Trafalgar, located on the corner of Edward Crescent and Rose Court.

The project has been five years in the making, beginning with a 12-month trial of off-leash areas throughout the Shire in 2015, followed by community consultation to determine the success of the trial.

Each of the new parks features premium dog park infrastructure including air lock entry/exit gates, dog litter bags, bins, drinking water stations and seating. The surrounding footpaths and landscaping have also been upgraded at each site.

New permanent signage outlining dog-owner rules and responsibilities will be installed shortly at the fenced parks, as well as the other dog off-leash areas at Dowton Park in Yarragon, St Phillack Reserve in Rawson, Dunstan Oval in Rawson and Darnum Recreation Reserve in Darnum.

In May 2018, Council decided to make seven of the off-leash areas permanent and committed to introducing three premium dog parks. The project formed part of the 2019/20 Capital Works Program, with a total budget of $120,000.

The seven listed parks and reserves are the only designated dog off-leash areas within the municipality. By law, dogs must be restrained on a leash in all other areas at all times.

User rules and responsibilities

Pet owners are urged to take note of the dog park rules and responsibilities before entering to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all visitors.

Do’s

Clean up after your dog Supervise your dog at all times Obedience train and socialize your dog before coming to the park Ensure your dog is vaccinated Have your dog on leash when entering/leaving the park Keep your dog under effective control Ensure the gate is closed behind you Ensure all dog handlers are over the age of 16

Don’ts

Allow dogs in the park without a person present inside the fenced area Bring puppies under 4 months of age into the park Allow your dog to rush at, worry or jump on other dogs or people Allow your dog to bark excessively Use the park outside of daylight hours Bring dogs into the park that are on heat Allow children under the age of 8 into the park

More information about the new dog parks can be found at www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/dogparks

Quotes attributable to Mayor Cr Danny Goss

“Baw Baw Shire is home to thousands of dogs, and we hope they’ll get to enjoy these fantastic parks for many years to come, offering a safe place for exercise, socialisation and training. I’d like to encourage the community to maintain dog park etiquette and take note of the rules and responsibilities before using the parks for the first time to make sure they remain an enjoyable place for everyone.”

Image: Mayor Cr Danny Goss with Phantom and Yoshi at the Brooker Park fenced dog park in Warragul.

Image: Community members and their dogs enjoy the Hollydell Park fenced dog park in Trafalgar.