Anytown is a rapidly developing municipality on the outskirts of a major metropolitan area. Parts of it have been established for many years as a self contained town but it is now being engulfed by metropolitan development. Around 15 years ago the Council "solved the dog problem" by banning dogs from all parks except 2 where they are allowed off-leash. They were also allowed off-leash at "Long Beach" which is in the industrial part of town. As no one ever goes to Long Beach, it was thought free-running dogs couldn't annoy or harm anyone. Also, it didn't matter if owners didn't pick up after their dog as no one else used the beach. Council has emphasised enforcement as the main policy tool to achieve compliance with these regulations.
However the 'dog problem' wasn't solved. Most dog owners just ignored the by-laws and went to the park nearest their home. Vast amounts of the dog control budget were spent on enforcement but each year ACO's requested more resources just to maintain an effective enforcement presence. It seemed that the "problem" was getting worse and that new population pressures would only aggravate the problem.
Staff became disillusioned with regulation and enforcement but it took changes at a recent Council election before alternatives were looked at seriously. During this time a change in attitude and approach emerged. It was realised that dog owners deserved and warranted a greater number and range of access opportunities and that everyone could benefit from a situation that considers everyone's needs. (The local Press later labelled it a classic "Win-Win" solution) After an extensive consultation process that systematically assessed dog owners' needs in the context of existing opportunities, constraints and expectations, a range of opportunities are now provided according to the hierarchy approach, i.e.:
Most use them on a regular basis, say twice a week or on a daily basis if they prefer. There is slightly more priority given to dog owners although management still favours integration with other park activities. Most are zones designated for free running within existing parks.
"Anytown's" hierarchy of opportunities is illustrated conceptually-
This approach successfully melded everyone's needs and started to break down the adversarial positions that were forming between the pro-dog and anti-dog lobbies. As a consequence the number of reported problems associated with dogs has declined and is expected to decline further over the next few years. It was therefore a successful political outcome as well. Council's town planners have been instructed to accommodate dog owners' needs in the development of new subdivisions.
