My dogs Honey and Ludo

In May, submissions were presented to the Councillors on the proposed bylaw making it compulsory for all dogs to be walked on-lead in all public places. Dogs will be allowed off-lead in designated areas specified in the bylaw. Havelock North is fortunate in having a large number of off-lead areas to choose from, such as Tainui Reserve, the back path in Keirunga Gardens and the south side of the Havelock Road bridge on the banks of the Karamu Stream. As you can see from my photo, I am a dog owner, so keep a close eye on anything involved with dogs at HDC.

One of the reasons this bylaw is being discussed is to prevent the dropping of dog faeces on public footpaths and parks, as when a dog is on a lead it is very difficult to miss the “event”! As I was walking my two labs this morning there were at least 5 piles of dog droppings in a two block distance down Duart Road, a sign that some irresponsible dog owners had passed by.