Of the over 150 parks and open spaces in the City of Canada Bay, there are currently 20 off-leash dog areas.

Off-leash dog areas within the vicinity of Five Dock include:

Designated unrestricted off-leash areas

• Battersea Park (Concord end of the park) - Battersea Street, Abbotsford
• Charles Heath Reserve - Queens Road, Five Dock
• Cintra Park - Lyons Road West, Canada Bay
• Five Dock Park (near Five Dock Skatepark) - Ingham Avenue, Five Dock
• Lysaght Park (on Five Dock Bay) - Bibby Street, Chiswick
• Timbrell Park (western end, beyond the children's play area) - Henley Marine Drive, Five Dock
• Storey Park (beside RSL Bowling Club) - McKinnon Avenue (off Lyons Road), Five Dock

Designated off-leash areas before 9am and after 5pm only

• Halliday Park - (on Hen & Chicken Bay) - Udall Avenue, Five Dock

The only park within the vicinity of Five Dock which provides an enclosed dog park is Five Dock Park.

Currently, there are no off-leash dog areas within the City of Canada Bay featuring obstacle and agility equipment.

Under section 14 of the Companion Animals Act (1998), Dogs are prohibited in the following places (whether or not they are leashed or otherwise controlled):

a)Children’s play areas (meaning any public place, or part of a public place, that is within 10 metres of any playing apparatus provided in that public place or part for the use of children).

b)Food preparation/consumption areas (meaning any public place, or part of a public place, that is within 10 metres of any apparatus provided in that public place or part for the preparation of food for human consumption or for the consumption of food by humans).

c)Recreation areas where dogs are prohibited (meaning any public place, or part of a public place, provided or set apart by a local authority for public recreation or the playing of organised games and in which the local authority has ordered that dogs are prohibited and in which, or near the boundaries of which, there are conspicuously exhibited by the local authority at reasonable intervals notices to the effect that dogs are prohibited in or on that public place or part).

d)Public bathing areas where dogs are prohibited (meaning any public place or any part of a public place that is used for or in conjunction with public bathing or public recreation (including a beach), in which the local authority has ordered that dogs are prohibited and in which, or near the boundaries of which, there are conspicuously exhibited by the local authority at reasonable intervals notices to the effect that dogs are prohibited in or on that public place).

e)School grounds (meaning any property occupied or used for a purpose connected with the conduct of a government school or non-government school under the Education Act 1990. other than any property used for a residence or the curtilage of a residence).

f)Child care centres (meaning any property occupied or used for a purpose connected with the conduct of a child care service as defined in the Children (Care and Protection) Act 1987, other than any property used for a residence or the curtilage of a residence).

g)Shopping areas where dogs are prohibited (meaning a shopping arcade or shopping complex, including any part of it that is used by the public for parking or access to shops, in which or part of which the local authority has ordered that dogs are prohibited and in which, or near the boundaries of which, there are conspicuously exhibited by the local authority at reasonable intervals notices to the effect that dogs are prohibited there). This paragraph does not apply to any shop or part of a shop.

h)Wildlife protection areas (meaning any public place or any part of a public place set apart by the local authority for the protection of wildlife and in which the local authority has ordered that dogs are prohibited for the purposes of the protection of wildlife and in which, or near the boundaries of which, there are conspicuously exhibited by the local authority at reasonable intervals notices to the effect that dogs are prohibited in or on that public place).

• Safe play space for dogs to run off-leash
• Provides both dogs and their owners opportunities to exercise and socialise
• Encourages responsible behaviour by owners and their dogs through clear rules
• Provides another avenue to create community connections enabling people to get to know other people with a common interest
• Dog owners may benefit from the advice and peer support re: problems they might have with their dogs
• Dogs also teach and learn from one another
• Offers not only a social avenue, but also a safer way for those with mobility limitation, particularly who find it very difficult to walk, to exercise their dog.