Walking the dog
You need to control your dog whenever you leave home. To protect other people and your pet, dogs must be on lead on:
- all streets, roads and car parks
- within 5 metres of a designated shared footway (bike and pedestrian path).
Dogs and cats are not allowed in or within 5 metres of children's playgrounds or public BBQs (for health and safety reasons). Please secure them outside the 5 meters if you are accessing these areas.
You can exercise your dog off-lead in all parks, except for Parks Victoria land. In some parks and reserves there will be signposted areas where dogs cannot go:
- for environmental reasons, such as near a wetland
- to protect birds and native species
- because snakes have been sighted.
If your dog is off the lead, it needs to be under your control. This means it stays within sight and returns when you call it.
Dog-friendly parks
There are 4 local dog-friendly parks at:
These parks have fully fenced, off-lead exercise areas with park benches, dog waste bins and drinking fountains with attached dog bowls.
Cleaning up after your dog
You must carry a bag and clean up after your dog if it poos on the street or in the park. You will see dog poo bins in some of our parks. Please ensure you dispose of your bags the right way.
You can be fined if you do not, as required by General Local Law No. 1 (2015).
Controlling your dog and cat by Order of Council
In 1997, Banyule Council issued an order on pet control in public places, and in accordance with Section 26 of the Domestic (Feral and Nuisance) Animals Act 1994.
Within Banyule, a dog is deemed to be under effective control of its owner if:
- a person controls a dog by the means of a chain, cord or leash; or
- it is within 75 metres (clear and unobstructed) of its owner; and
- it will return to its owner upon command.
The Order stipulates that:
- all dogs on streets, roads, public car parks and within shopping areas must be under the effective control with a chain, cord or leash;
- dogs and cats are not permitted, restrained or otherwise, within 5m of any equipment in a children's playground or within 5m of a public BBQ;
- dogs must be under the effective control with a chain, cord or leash while on or within 5m of a footpath or declared path; and
- dogs and cats are prohibited from entering environmentally sensitive park and reserve areas as designated by signs.
There are some exceptions where, for environmental reasons, dogs are allowed in reserves and parks, but only under effective control with a chain, cord or leash.
Specific park or reserve control requirements
Contact us
For more information, please call our Animal Management Team on 9490 4222.