Dog lovers seeking park for pooches

Dog lovers gathered at Henley Lake this week to discuss a proposal to set up a dog park in Masterton.

Under the leadership of Tinui dog owner Fern Love, possibilities for the park were discussed and vote forms were distributed.

Miss Love, who has been mulling over the idea for the past 10 years, sent out flyers to determine whether other dog owners would support her idea.

Six other dog owners turned up to meet with Miss Love. She said she would present her proposal, which so far consists of a fenced space with clean water, to Masterton District Council. It will then be up to council to decide where the proposed park would be located.

She said her next step would be approaching the Trust, or council for funding.

Miss Love is also thinking of fundraising, possibly by selling T-shirts, to build the fence.

She said one of the main reasons a park was necessary was to allow dogs, and owners, to socialise. 'Some dogs can't be let off the leash. If we had a dog park, dogs would be able to play.

"I want dogs to be able to feel unthreatened. All the dogs here today are on leads. Why can't we have somewhere to let them off?"

Miss Love pointed to hazards, such as roads, broken glass, aggressive dogs, and the lake, which was affected by blue-green algae for part of the year, as other reasons for the necessity of a fenced area.

"I'm doing this for Masterton because I believe it's a good thing. There are hundreds of dogs out here on the weekend. It's a place where you can have dog training."