AS any dog owner will tell you free dog areas are important. They allow dogs to exercise, socialise and have fun. As Orange becomes more urbanised, many backyards are smaller than they once were and dogs lack the adequate space to run free.
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At the moment Orange City Council companion animals community committee is addressing a number key issues around management of companion animals including an assessment of the city’s leash free zones.
Many people believe there needs to be more designated leash free areas for dogs, particularly in west Orange, and they are probably correct.
However that doesn’t mean any large grassy area is fair game.
Riawena Oval is one of Orange’s premier cricket grounds and as such it is meticulously maintained to ensure it is of a high enough standard to be used by representative teams.
For six months a year cricket teams use the oval for training and games, and on the whole regard it as a very good sporting facility with the exception of the dog poo which is regularly deposited on it.
As one cricket player said playing on Riawena Oval can be a messy exercise thanks to the poor behaviour of the city’s many dog owners.
It’s fine for dog owners to push for an expanded list of leash free areas, but it has to be a two-way street.
If you take your dog anywhere in public it is your responsibility to pick up any dog faeces it leaves behind.
It’s not good enough to allow your dog to use the city’s footpaths, parks or ovals as a canine toilet.
There would be far fewer objections to more and more areas being declared leash free if dog owners acted responsibly.
Until dog owners learn to pick up after their pets, plans to actively encourage dogs to visit Riawena Oval is bound to be met with objections.