A proposed new dog bylaw in New Plymouth has got canine lovers' in a spin.
The council wants to ban off-leash dogs from sections of Onuku Taipari - the only city beach where dogs can roam largely unrestrained at all times.
It's also ditched a proposal to allow leashed pooches in the city centre.
There are 11,000 dogs registered in New Plymouth and many of them stretch their legs at Onuku Taipari - more commonly know as Back Beach.
The new bylaw will ban dogs altogether from a section of the beach near the southern car park from 10am to 6pm from Labour weekend to Easter Monday.
And dogs will now have to be on a leash at all times at the northern end of the beach, at the base of Paritutu Rock.
Council officers said this would help protect penguins, birds and seals, and make the beach safer for families.
Juvenile Fiordland crested penguin taking rest at Back Beach. Photo: Supplied / EMR
Surfer Justin Selby - who had two dogs in tow - wasn't happy about it.
"It's so awesome just having a free beach where a dog can cruise, be a dog, be sociable, jump and do what a dog does.
"There's no issue with dogs being dangerous and dangerous dogs at this beach. I've been a local here my whole life and I've never heard of a single dog attack."
Dog owner Justin Selby Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The bylaw had the support of iwi and environmentalists, but Selby reckoned Onuku Taipari was the last bastion for off-leash dogs.
"There's plenty of other safe beaches in Taranaki where dogs are banned. Fitzroy, Oakura, Corbett Park and East End just to name a few, so to force us people who love to have freedom with our dogs further and further away is a bit rich."
Friends Akiko and Noay were out walking their dogs, Azu and Gorro.
Akiko was not impressed with the new bylaw.
"Back Beach is the only beach that 24 hours you don't have to have the leash on your dogs which is really convenient and nice, and also for the dogs' socialising."
And Akiko reckoned it was not only the dogs who got to make new friends.
Gary Sprudle - who was walking Oscar with his wife, Anne - vouched for that.
"Some days there might be 30 or 40 dogs here and they're playing together and we've met the nicest people, the nicest people in New Zealand.
"In fact we know the names of the dogs more than the names of the people, but we all say hello to each other and we wouldn't have met them if we hadn't come down here.
"It would be terrible if we have to put them on a leash."
Gary Sprudle with wife Anne and dog Oscar in the background. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Sprudle said in the 20 years he'd been bringing dogs to Onuku Taipari he'd never seen any trouble.
The 330 submissions received on the bylaw were evenly split on beach access, but overwhelmingly supportive of its other initiative - allowing leashed dogs in town.
Mixed response to dogs in CBD
Hearing Dogs New Zealand volunteer Morris West took advantage of a council trial of dogs in the CBD late last year.
He said when he brought his cavoodles, Lizzie and Squiggle, to visit the Public Catering Company in town he got nothing but smiles.
"I think it's been a long time coming. It should never have gone the other way.
"It was out of fear. A lot of people see a fear in dogs, but the kind of people bringing dogs into town aren't bringing attack dogs or anything like that.
"No, I think it's long been coming and needed to be."
Morris West is a volunteer with hearing dogs in New Plymouth. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
Lilly and her grandma, Anne, were fans of the idea of dogs in town.
"Yes, they're cute," said Lilly, although Anne sounded a word of caution.
"I think as long as the owners are very responsible about picking up the waste. That's very important and the dogs should be on a lead because not everybody likes dogs."
The bylaw would have continued to ban dangerous and menacing dogs from the CBD, but Dana was still not convinced.
"I'm in two minds about it, to be honest. Even as a dog owner I'm not sure about it.
"Not all dogs are as friendly or as easy to manage as say my dog is, for example, and that could get problematic at times."
The councillors agreed and voted to ditch the recommendation to allow dogs in the CBD.
The new bylaw comes into force in April.
