The Dunedin City Council has floated a plan to allow dogs to roam "off leash" on the unformed roads at Woodside Glen as part of a dog control bylaw review.
But this move has angered Eve and Ray Beardsmore, who said they had issues with dogs roaming from the reserve on to their property, and they would contemplate legal action if the policy gets the tick.
"The reserve is near and dear to our heart. But the council seem to want to turn it into a dog park.
"We're protected at the moment by the present rules, but we worry about what letting dogs off-leash will do to our stock.
"Some dogs are very nice, but other dogs can be quite savage."
Mrs Beardsmore said Woodside Glen was a scenic reserve which was popular for its native plant and birdlife.
"Dogs can come through the reserve and to the property and do as they please under these proposals."
Mrs Beardsmore said they had made a submission to the council about the proposed changes, but were willing to take matters further if the council decided to go ahead with the change she labelled as "madness".
"On our property we’ve got geckos, we’ve got beautiful lizards, we’ve got stick insects, we’ve got beautiful little quail and they run around, but if a dog saw one of them it would be toast because they don’t fly very well."
The couple said they had bought about 10 properties in the area since 1975 to protect it and said dogs off leashes were a risk to the habitat.
Forest & Bird regional conservation manager Chelsea McGaw said although they were not against dogs being allowed in the reserve, the group would like to see them on leashes.
"Although the majority of the wildlife there are flighted, because of its remote and rural nature and ability to easily be protected, we feel that this is an important place to be protected from off-leash dogs.
"It is also difficult for the general public to determine which areas are unformed legal roads and it would be more simple to have a blanket rule across the reserve requiring dogs to be on leashes at all times."
A council spokesman said at Woodside Glen, the proposal to allow dogs off leash on the unformed legal roads through this reserve "aligns with the existing rule applied to the rest of the reserve, which is already ‘off leash’, and is proposed because it is unclear where the unformed roads are".
"All members of the public are welcome to share their feedback by making a submission, as well as speaking to the hearing panel at a hearing later this year.
"All dog owners are required to keep their dogs under control at all times, whether on leash or not, and our staff use a variety of tools to inform dog owners about their responsibilities, including education, signage, patrols and, if needed, enforcement."
People have until Sunday to submit on the proposed bylaws, including dogs on leash allowed (but not tied up and unattended) in the Octagon, Library Plaza, the areas of Princes St and George St between the Exchange and Knox Church, and King Edward St (South Dunedin) between Hillside and Macandrew Rds, and the Mosgiel Memorial Garden (track only). — Additional reporting Mark John
