Back in about 2008 I wanted to get to know Wellington better, and to take the dogs with me. I realised that a website reviewing dog parks, showing how to reach them, explaining what facilities each had, and their dangers — that would offer a public service. With other dog owners I could create a reference site so people could better choose where to have fun with their dogs.

In the intervening years I’ve reviewed most of the official off-leash areas and a few interesting on-leash areas too.

This site has become the rich resource I wanted it to be, but now that I’ve left Wellington and am busy with other things it’s time to hand the site on to a new owner who can not only look after it, but actually develop it too.

I’m thrilled to pass the site into the good hands of Penny Krieg of Loose Leash Dogwalking.

It’s been a great 8 years. Thank you for visiting the site and all the support that has come my way.

Miraz Jordan, KnowIt

Taylor Park is a mostly-flat, unfenced area south of the Badminton Club. It slopes up to the houses at the eastern side.

There is a rubbish bin, but no toilets or seating.

Big enough for ball, stick or bubble chasing.

It’s about 60 x 60M approx and there’s no access to water. The nearest water is a 5 minute walk south to the stream at Willowbank Park or slightly longer walk north through the Main Road to the dog drinking bowl at the south end of the library. There’s no shelter or shade.

Thanks, Judith.

I visit this park at least once a weekend with my two dogs. It’s isolated from the road, with a childrens’ playground at the north end — dogs must be on leash through the playground.

The Main Road entry is next to the traffic speed box just north of McLellan Street, and the northern entry is between the Linden Social Centre and the Kapi-Mana Bridge Club.

It’s about 100 metres long by about 60 metres wide, bound on one side by Main Road addresses that all have back gates opening onto the park, and on the other side by the stream.

The riverbank side is quite wild but has a couple of reasonably easy access tracks down to the water. The undergrowth includes stinging nettle, biddy-bids, dock, Wandering Willie/Wandering Jew, ivy and numerous other weeds that grow under the willow trees.

Runners often run through the park. It’s not fenced at either end but for a well trained dog with good recall that’s not an issue.

There’s plenty of room to throw a ball or frisbee and there are ducks in the stream for chasing.

I asked the WCC to put a bench seat in a couple of years ago and they did, and this has recently been upgraded to a newer model. The nearest rubbish bin is at the northern end of the playground. There are no toilets.

My dogs love it here and being away from traffic it’s one of my favourites too.

Thanks, Judith.

Written submissions to Council’s 2016-17 Annual Plan are currently being accepted, closeoff being 5pm on Friday 5 February.

I am pushing for a few existing dog exercise areas throughout the city to be fenced, and was very pleased when my proposal to include $200,000 in the 2015 Long Term Plan for fencing a given number of dog exercise areas was accepted by a majority of councillors.

We do need to keep this and other dog-related issues in front of councillors. For that reason, I’m encouraging you to make a submission to the this year’s annual plan if you haven’t already done so. I apologise for the last-minute suggestion, but you could simply use your previous wording (the wording you used for last year’s Long Term Plan) if you so choose.

Go to http://www.our10yearplan.co.nz/ and then click on “Tell us your idea” further down the page.

Hikoikoi Reserve Fenced Dog Park Proposal … Hutt City Council has proposed the establishment of a fenced dog park as part of its review of their Dog Control Bylaw. Small Dog Socials proposes a quality dog park at Hikoikoi Reserve, suitable for all dogs. We are looking for support and interested parties willing to contribute to the proposal.

[Via : Hikoikoi Reserve Fenced Dog Park Proposal.]

By the way, one of Run Spot Run’s readers asked about where an agility or obstacle course for small dogs might be. Hikoikoi Reserve would be a great place to put one. Go on over to the group and have your say.

The problem is that even the best-behaved dogs can do severe damage in an unguarded instant. We need to only let them off the lead in official off-leash areas to help prevent sad events like the following.

In February 2015 a fledgling kākā was killed by an off-leash dog in Huntleigh Park in Ngaio.

Park staff who came across the dead kaka say this incident highlights the importance of keeping dogs on leads to protect our native birds.

It only takes a second of a dog dashing into the bushes to do the damage, and kaka are a threatened species we need to be protecting, says Bernard Smith, WCC Biosecurity Officer.

Huntleigh Park is part of a predator-free community and they are putting in hundreds of hours of effort to protect these birds.  So to see this sort of needless event is quite heart-breaking says Myfanwy Emeny, WCC Team Leader, Urban Ecology. 

We appreciate the need for dogs to run off-leash, and the Council provides appropriate areas for this where our native wildlife isn’t at risk, she says.

Dogs must be on-leash in all Parks areas unless it is a designated off-leash area.

[Via : News – Dog kills kākā in Huntleigh Park – Wellington City Council, 23 February 2015.]

Run Spot Run has reviewed most of the official off-leash areas, and even has a list of the best of them.

Do make a submission if you’re interested in facilities for dogs in the Hutt.

Proposed changes include:

• seven new off-leash exercise areas,
• a fenced dog exercise park,
• three changes to lift prohibition areas, and
• the removal of three exercise areas.

[Via : Proposed Dog Control Policy and Bylaw Review.]

Many thanks to Waglands who sent this info through for the readers of Run Spot Run.

Mack enjoys a drink at The Groynes dog park in Christchurch.

Here’s what I sent:

it’s great to see drinking fountains springing up around the place, such as the one by the Byrd Memorial and at Pukeahu Park. I’m sure these will be well used, especially in summer, by numerous local walkers and runners, as well as tourists and general visitors.

It’s disappointing though that the drinking fountains don’t include a doggy water bowl. Many of the local users (I’m one of them) have dogs with them when they visit or pass through these popular spots and their dogs get thirsty too.

I would like to see all future water fountains include a doggy water bowl, and in fact would like to see all currently installed fountains retrofitted with a doggy water bowl.

In recent years Wellington has taken some good steps towards becoming more dog (and dog-owner) friendly. Adding a doggy water bowl to the drinking fountains would be a fabulous way to push that along further.

Warm regards,
Miraz Jordan
Ratepayer and dog owner
Hataitai
Wellington

Wellington City Council contacts.

If you think the new water fountains should provide for dogs then why not contact the Council and tell them?

The BENEFUL® Bark in the Park® Summer Tour is visiting doggie hot spots all around NZ this summer and promises to be a woofing woof-load of fun!

Be sure to head down to the park detailed below with your fur buddy and take part in some of the action featuring: the BENEFUL Play Truck, tennis balls, bottom sniffing, play-gility course, doggie dress ups, more tennis balls, prizes, giveaways and … even more tennis balls!

Event details are below. See facebook.com/purinanz/events for more details and more events.

BENEFUL® Bark in the Park® in Wellington

Date: Saturday 21 February

Time: 9am-12pm

Park: Cummings Park

Location: Ottawa Road, Ngaio

BENEFUL® Bark in the Park® in Paekakariki

Date: Sunday 22 February

Time: 9am – 12pm

Park: Queen Elizabeth Park

Location: Wellington Road Entrance, Paekakariki

Choose a cool time to take the dog to the beach

Dogs are restricted on five Wellington beaches between 9am and 7pm during daylight saving. 

Summer beach restrictions apply to Balaena Bay, Hataitai Bay, Island Bay, Seatoun Beach and Worser Bay until April 6, 2015. 

Dogs are welcome on these beaches before 9am or after 7pm but, except for Worser Bay, dogs must be on lead at all times. 

There are many other beaches throughout the city where you can exercise your dog off-lead. See the list.

[Via : Capital Canines.]

Remember that the main purpose of Run Spot Run is to review official off-leash areas. While there are a couple we haven’t got to yet, most are listed on the Walks page. The beaches tag gives information specifically relevant to beaches.