Dogs to hit the beach earlier than expected

Dogs are to be allowed greater freedom on beaches three weeks earlier than expected because of a bylaw rethink by the Rodney District Council.

Urgent changes are being made to all signs saying dogs are banned from beaches between 9am and 7pm until daylight saving ends on April 5 – with the penalty for noncompliance being a $300 fine.

After lobbying by the 2000-plus strong Rodney Dog Friends group, the council is ending the ban three weeks earlier.

"But this doesn’t mean they are doing us a favour," says group spokeswoman Jill Parsons. "The extra three weeks was added when the daylight saving period was extended last year.

"So all they are doing is giving us back what was wrongfully taken away."

Members of the group are still livid, however, that the council has rejected its request for the prohibited times to be changed to between 10am and 6.30pm – more in line with neighbouring areas such as North Shore and Kaipara. MORE>>

I would be livid too. Dogs, legally, required an adequate amount of exercise each day. It's written in the law. If you have a high energy dog, then you should have the correct amount of beach freedom to exercise your dog. And not just beaches either.