By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
A Belgrave resident has raised concerns over growing off-leash dog incidents at Belgrave Lake Park, where many dog owners ignore the designated areas for dogs.
The 71-year-old who has lived in the area for over 25 years, said despite clear signage indicating on-lead rules, dogs roam freely – posing risks to both park users and local wildlife.
“Belgrave Lake Park has had a lot of developments, with the new playground, there’s a designated off-lead area for dogs in the central part of the park, but many dog owners ignore the rules,” he said.
“They often let their dogs roam freely in areas where leashes are required, despite clear signs indicating which areas are off-lead and which are not, most dog owners don’t follow them, this leads to larger dogs, like German Shepherds, running off into the bush, putting local wildlife at risk.”
The Belgrave resident said it’s frustrating to see a strong sense of entitlement among some dog owners, who often say things like, “My dog wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“This attitude of, “love me, love my dog” mentality is becoming more common.”
According to NALZO The Label’s Dog Bite Statistics Australia more than 2000 Australians are hospitalised annually due to dog bites.
Yearly, an average of 2061 hospital admissions in Australia are attributed to dog attacks, with children frequently bitten on the head and older adults experiencing severe injuries, including hip fractures from dog-related falls.
“The biggest concern is the threat to other park users who simply want to enjoy the space without worrying about off-lead dogs approaching them aggressively or jumping on them,” he said.
“I’ve had two close calls in the last couple of months where a German Shepherd nearly attacked me while I was just minding my own business, for some reason, they seemed triggered by me and came charging at me, barking and growling – I had to use a loud voice and point to stop them from attacking, while their owners seemed unconcerned.”
“When I confronted the owner about their dog being off-lead, instead of addressing the issue, she said it must be something about me since her dog is usually fine – I told her that regardless of that, the dog shouldn’t be off-lead, especially if it’s behaving aggressively.”
The resident said the dog-owners is simply focused on their dog’s freedom to enjoy the park than on the impact their actions have on others.
“I know a guy who’s a responsible dog owner and always keeps his greyhound on a leash, the other day, I saw him carrying a wooden axe handle, so I asked why – he said it was in case he was attacked by an off-lead dog. He told me he’s been attacked eight times at Belgrave Lake Park and other reserves over the years, which is why he feels the need to carry it – that really drove the point home for me,” the Belgrave resident said.
He said he’s been in regular contact with the council for the last two years.
“My main concern, besides the risk of a dog attacking me, is the old playground, it used to be fully fenced, with a safety gate like those in childcare centres, to keep dogs out. Now it’s completely open, allowing dogs to wander in while kids are playing – I’ve told the council that this could lead to a serious accident,” he said.
“They’ve made some changes to the signs, but it hasn’t really improved the behaviour of dog owners, who still let their dogs roam freely.”
The classic sign with a red circle and a line through it indicates no dogs or cats in the bushland areas, but the resident said it doesn’t seem to help because dogs are still seen there all the time.
“My main point is that there really needs to be a clear “No Dogs” sign in the centre of the playground since it’s open and not fenced, I first requested this to the Yarra Ranges Council almost two years ago, and they said they would consider it, but they still haven’t put up the sign,” the 71-year-old said.
The current signs create confusion, leading many to believe the entire area is an off-leash zone.
“I think part of the issue is that the largest sign in the park, which has a detailed map and information about different areas, prominently says “Dogs Off-Leash Area,” – this makes it look like the entire park is designated for off-leash dogs, the communication from the council is unclear and too ambiguous, which leads to confusion for visitors and hence dog-owners feel entitled to have their dogs roam freely.”
Yarra Ranges Council was contacted for comment.
