Dog-walking businesses in Dunedin could be put on too short a leash for them to be viable if proposed rules about groups of dogs are not loosened, a hearing has been told.
The possibility of a cap limiting the number of dogs one person can have in their charge in a public place to six — and no more than two of them being off the leash — generated a lot of comment in public submissions about the Dunedin City Council’s dog control bylaw review.
Canine Capers Dog Services owner Sallie Remon told the hearings committee her business would not be able to operate.
She was comfortable with the proposed six-dog limit, but restricting the number of off-leash dogs to two would cause problems, she said.
Mrs Remon said it was potentially dangerous, because if another dog strayed into her group, her hands would not be free to remedy any problem.
"It would also be incredibly hard to keep control of four dogs on lead while the other two are playing and wanting to play with their on-lead friends.
"This is not what my clients pay for."
Mrs Remon is also a dog trainer, dog obedience competitor and Taieri Canine Training Club president.
People with groups of dogs often had them well trained, she said.
The council said the proposed limits were intended to minimise the potential for danger, distress or nuisance.
Four Paws Outdoors director Jamie Hughes said his company walked 42 dogs.
"Our pack size is 10 dogs, two of which are mine and assist with keeping the pack in line and on task", he said.
"We use tracks that are usually not used by the public during the day and actively avoid walkers using public tracks."
Lack of regulation for the dog-walking industry was a theme at the hearing.
Mr Hughes said there were "one or two ‘cowboys’ in the market".
"Some of these walkers can run up to 20 dogs together which, for me, doesn’t project control."
Mrs Remon felt a licensing system could be called for.
"There are dog walkers who have little or no experience and walk large amounts of dogs together with little or no control", she said.
Other themes at the hearing yesterday included how horses and their riders and dogs and their owners might best share the beach near Ocean View.
A dogs-on-leash area was proposed beside the Westwood Recreation Reserve.
Carol Dempster was one person who objected to this, as she had seen minimal if any evidence of danger, distress or nuisance on the beach.
She was a horse rider and dog owner and wanted to be able to exercise both animals at the same time.
The two youngest presenters at the hearing were Emma O’Brien and Lyra Stevens, both aged 9.
The girls, from Wakari School, wanted little blue penguins to be kept safe and they highlighted the dangers of dogs being off-leash on mountainbiking trails.
Emma said she enjoyed the experience of speaking at the hearing and hearing panel member Cr Mandy Mayhem said the girls mastered the microphone system better than most grown-ups.
