Call for more dog parks in Canning Vale

CANNING Vale residents are speaking out against the lack of off-lead dog parks in the suburb and calling on the City of Canning to establish more.

Within the City of Canning there are 58 off-leash dogs parks, but just one is in Canning Vale, at Clifton Road.

About 10 per cent of all of Canning residential properties are within Canning Vale; of 33,326 residential properties in the City of Canning 3344 properties are in Canning Vale.

Resident Alec Blunden said it was time the City of Canning established more off-lead parks for dogs within Canning Vale.

Mr Blunden and his Labrador Sophie enjoy daily walks, and often meet up with other dog owners who socialise as their dogs play.

“We are good guests of the parks, and pick up after our dogs, it’s a real social event for us too and a way to get to know each other,” he said.

Mr Blunden said the lack of off-leash areas was unacceptable for a developing suburb such as Canning Vale, and unfair on dogs who thrived with free runs.

“It’s something I think needs to be addressed for us as dog walkers, and for dogs who deserve the chance to chase a ball and run free,” he said.

Formally, Mr Blunden had let his dog off lead in fenced areas not owned by the City of Canning, but booking changes had ended the opportunity, leaving him with no options.

“That solitary Canning Vale area is Clifton Park, which, for those unfamiliar with the facility, is an isolated oval south of Ranford Road, surrounded by bush, commercial boarding and breeding kennels and the prison,” he said.

“Clifton Park is manifestly unsuitable for that purpose because of its isolation and congested traffic access. These render it impractical and unsafe, particularly for the elderly and for ladies.”

Mr Blunden said a fellow ratepayer had written to council asking for additional areas, but correspondence had not yielded results.

“A Canning ratepayer wrote to the new Council some six months ago concerning the inadequacy of dog exercise areas in Canning … asking the new council take the opportunity to address a long standing and quite blatant deficiency in the facilities offered to residents of Canning Vale…To date, no decision has been made,” he said.

A spokesman for the City of Canning said there were plans to establish more off-lead parks in Canning Vale, but did not provide a time frame.

He said the existing park was established prior to the development of the Canning Vale residential areas.

“The City recognises the increase in residential development in this area and is currently looking at appropriate places in Canning Vale to create off-lead dog recreation areas,” he said.

He said there were no specific requirements for the creation of new off lead dog exercise areas.

“In general dog exercise areas need to be large enough to allow dogs to move about freely and not cause any adverse impacts on the surrounding community,” he said.