“Pick up your Poop!”: Dog lovers frustrated with irresponsible pet owners in the Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - December 1, 2023 Dog walkers and other pedestrians dodge dog faeces along Nambucca Heads V-Wall. EVERY morning Liane takes her morning walk along the Nambucca Heads V-Wall and finds it a challenge to dodge what other dog owners have left behind. “Pick up your dog poop!” is her message to other dog owners. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au But Liane is not advocating for more restrictions on dog owners – far from it. Instead, she would like to see dogs allowed into more businesses, like pubs and cafes. “I know that dogs are allowed outside at some cafes,” she tells News Of The Area, “but how about letting them into beer gardens and making an inside section at some cafes. “I feel like the Valley is quite unfriendly to dogs and yet almost every household seems to have a dog.” According to Dogs Australia, the benefits of owning and caring for a dog are well documented and backed up by peer-reviewed research. Dog owners enjoy a great range of health benefits from greater chance of surviving heart attacks, improved cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure to less allergies in children and fewer respiratory infections. Many studies have shown that dog owners walk more and are more physical in general. Liane agrees and believes we should encourage ‘responsible’ dog owners to interact with their pets by allowing ‘well-behaved’ dogs in more places. Nambucca Valley Council has a few official dog-friendly zones, but Liane wishes there were more. According to the Council’s website, off-leash dog-friendly areas in the Nambucca Valley are located at: ● · Nambucca Heads – from Swimming Creek beach north to Valla Beach Resort ● · North Valla Beach – from the access path off the northern end of Cockburn Street (4WD access) to the northern boundary of the Shire ● · Scotts Head – from the beach access path on Banksia Crescent northwards (dogs are prohibited in National Parks) ● · The northern end of Stuarts Island has an off-leash area on Crown Land ● · Valla Beach Lions Reserve Dogs are welcome on-leash at Boulton’s Crossing Reserve in Gumma, Taylors Arm Reserve and at times stated on signs at North Valla Beach, Forsters Beach in Scotts Head and at Little Beach, also in Scotts Head. By Ned COWIE
