Dog ownership

If your dog is in a public area, including paths, roads and open spaces, it must be on a leash and controlled effectively by a competent person. Otherwise your dog needs to be confined to your property, not wandering around public or private property.

Your dog must not enter:

• Eating areas
• School or childcare grounds
• Wildlife protection areas
• Within ten metres of children’s playground equipment.

Council has established off-leash areas where you can let your dog excercise under supervision. 

You are responsible for immediately cleaning up after your dog in public places and disposing of the waste properly. Failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine of $275.

When walking your dog, carry bags to collect your dog's droppings. We provide free dog tidy bags and dog litter bins in many of our off-leash areas. Bagged dog waste can also be disposed of in any public garbage bin or take it home with you and dispose of it in your own red lid garbage bin.

Consider purchasing a pet waste composter to keep your pet waste out of landfill.

Dog faeces contain high levels of nutrients which can harm the health of our waterways following rainfall. It also contains bacteria such as infectious roundworm that can be harmful to people. 

Plastic-Free Dog Waste Bags

Following a recent growth in understanding of the detrimental impacts of plastics on our environment, we have started trialling new plastic-free dog waste bags in all of our dispensers, which are made from corn and are 100% biodegradable and compostable.

Unfortunately, as it still takes a long time for biodegradable bags to break down and if they end up in our waterways they still are a major threat to marine life, it is important to always dispose of the bags properly in a red bin.

If you have tried the new bags, please provide us with feedback on 9777 1000 or at email@willoughby.nsw.gov.au.