Pawesome news for Sunshine Coast dog owners

Exciting news for dog owners today (December 17) with the launch of Sunshine Coast Council’s new interactive mobile-friendly website that has been designed to help dog owners identify off-leash, on-leash and prohibited areas in real-time when they are on the go.

The website, dogs.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au, which is also accessible via council’s app, helps people check where they are on a map and determine whether their dog should be on-leash, can be off-leash or where they aren’t allowed to go. It also provides locations for dog water bowls, so you can keep your four-legged friends hydrated.

The Sunshine Coast Council area requires that dogs are on leash at all times unless otherwise signed. The map features colour-coded areas to show off-leash at all times (green), off-leash at specified times (blue), on-leash at all times in a shared area (orange) and prohibited at all times (red).

Community Portfolio Councillor Jenny McKay said the interactive website was another step in council’s commitment to promoting responsible pet ownership.

“There are 13 kilometres of dog-friendly beach along our coastline as well as more than 25 fenced and unfenced dog parks across the region, so we hope this website will make it simple for dog owners, whether they be locals or visitors, to understand their responsibilities,” Cr McKay said.

“This is the first release of the website and we’re planning additional features in future so we’d love to hear your feedback on the site too. Give it a try next time you’re out walking your dog and send us any ideas you have for new features or improvements.”

Division 3 Councillor Peter Cox, who regularly walks his dog along the beach, said the best outcome would be everyone enjoying the outdoors in a safe environment and pet owners avoiding a fine.

“There are more than 58,000 dogs registered on the Sunshine Coast so hopefully this new website will help their owners be more aware of where our off-leash and on-leash areas are,” Cr Cox said.

“I also want to see every owner picking up their dogs’ waste, so that our beautiful beaches remain that way for everyone to use and enjoy.”

A majority of people will use the website while on-the-go so it has been designed to be viewed on a mobile phone, however it can also be viewed on a computer from home.

To view the website, visit dogs.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or download the Sunshine Coast Council app and click on Things to Do. To submit feedback, click on the Feedback link below the map.

/Public Release. View in full here.