Dog owners in the Waitaki district win some and lose some in a draft dog control bylaw and dog control policy prepared by the Waitaki District Council.
However, they, along with anyone else, will get a chance to have a say on what the council is suggesting when the draft goes out for public consultation on June 26, with a final decision not due until September.
Contentious issues might include opening up more areas to dogs off leads, restricting dog numbers on urban properties and clarifying what working dogs are.
The council has a dog policy and bylaw it adopted in 2004, but it has to be reviewed this year to take in law changes.
Regulatory services manager Lichelle Guyan said many of the changes were mandatory, minor and not controversial.
For example, a mandatory change was microchipping all dogs over the age of 3 months (excluding working farm dogs), where previously it was those registered on or after July 1, 2006.
Impounded dogs have to be microchipped before release.
Microchipping continues for dangerous or menacing dogs.
But the council has made some changes which can be modified or left out, depending on decisions made after submissions.
These include. -
•Extending off-lead dog exercise areas in Oamaru;Allowing dogs on leads in cemeteries and on sports grounds;
•Allowing dogs on leads in the Oamaru central business district between 7pm and 8am;
•Allowing dogs off leads on neighbourhood parks and reserves between 7pm and 8am, providing they are under effective control;
•Clarifying the selected owner status criteria (where registration fees are reduced providing set criteria are met);
•Restricting the number of dogs on an urban property or rural-residential property equal to or less than 2500sq m to three (excluding working dogs or breeding);
•Clarifying when dogs are to be neutered;
•Clarifying the definition of working dogs.
