For owners, it’s a dog-gone law

GREATER Dandenong Council local laws officers will target residents who let dogs off their leash in prohibited areas.
Star reported early this month that Cleeland Ward councillor Paul Donovan had grown frustrated with the number of ‘dangerous’ dogs off leash along the Dandenong Creek trail after riding his bike along it.
Cr Donovan had originally proposed the council purchase mountain bikes and send council officers along the trail to fine dog owners with animals off their leashes.
While the purchase of bikes was no longer a part of Cr Donovan’s notice of motion at Monday’s council meeting, he retained his arguments that off-leash dogs in prohibited areas were dangerous and in breach of council law.
“If we have laws to not have dangerous dogs on bike paths, we need to enforce them,” Cr Donovan said. “We need to make bike paths safe, and we need to start issuing fines I believe.”
Councillors passed the motion unanimously and the council will now step up patrols of the city’s bike paths, with particular attention given to the Dandenong Creek trail.