DOZENS and dozens of dog owners have answered the call of the Phillip Island Bass Coast Dog Owners Association and posted or emailed photos of their precious pooches to their local Bass Coast Shire Councillors.
And it’s not too late to get on the best-friend bandwagon.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead, has received 50 pet pics alone via email and Facebook in recent days, and as a dog lover herself, she welcomes the canine-coloured correspondence.
“It made my day. Obviously, it shows how much joy their pets bring to their world and it’s something we all share,” said Cr Halstead this week.
The unprecedented outpouring comes ahead of the release of a new Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) for 2026-2029, expected at the August 2025 meeting of council.
And chief amongst the pleas from the pooches and their owners is an ardent appeal for more dog-friendly beach walks and fenced dog parks in local towns.
Which stands to reason, given the growing population and the fact that on Phillip Island alone, just one kilometre of the island’s 97 kilometres of beaches is available for off-leash dog exercising.
“We appreciate the shire gets a lot of points of view about this, but we just wanted to demonstrate that a majority of people need to walk their dogs, and they just love walking on the beach,” said president of the Phillip Island Bass Coast Dog Owners Association (PIBCDOA), Cheryl Owens.
“We don’t want to lose any of the existing off-leash beaches, including San Remo, which there seems to be a bit of noise about, and we’d like to see more opportunities to walk dogs on the beach in recognition of the significant growth in the area.
“We want to keep Ventnor, we want to keep Cowes (yacht club beach), Cape Woolamai and San Remo, and we think there’s potential for a new walk between the bridge and Cleeland Road, which is an area controlled by the council which would be well used by people from San Remo, Newhaven, Cape Woolamai and the Island generally,” said Mrs Owens.
“Fenced dog parks in the towns are another big one, with separate areas needed for small and big dogs. Inverloch has the biggest need there, then Cowes and Wonthaggi. But they’re needed in all our towns, similar to what they have everywhere else.”
Mrs Owens said her group favoured a review of the ban on dogs being walked on-leash along Lovers Walk Cowes, between Steele Street and Dunsmore Road, because walking dogs there was already an established practice.
And she’s detailed the dos, don’ts and wants of local dog owners in a follow-up email to councillors, printed in the “letters” section of today’s paper.
Mrs Owens said that according to the Engage Bass Coast website, there would be an opportunity for further community engagement on the draft DAMP, between August 21 and September 18, which she said was welcomed by the members of PIBCDOA.
“We haven’t seen a copy of the draft yet, but we’re anxious to see what is being proposed by the shire.
“As was the case back in 1997, when 87 per cent of people responded to a shire survey in favour of dogs on beaches, we just wanted to show that there’s more interest in this than just about anything else,” said Mrs Owens.
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Halstead, who responded to the dog owners’ campaign by posting a picture of herself and her much-loved golden labradors ‘Invy’ and ‘Sanny’, said she was looking forward to the release of the new DAMP.
“I was delighted to receive the pictures. They’re all beautiful and they make a real difference in people’s lives, especially if you’re living alone or feel isolated for some reason,” said Cr Halstead.
“And I appreciate that the dog association isn’t just about advocacy, they’re always on about dog etiquette and responsible dog ownership as well, but the DAMP has got to strike a balance between protecting the environment and looking after the environment, and what the dog owners would like to see.
“The majority of dog owners are responsible but there is a minority who are inclined to do the wrong thing, and we have to be mindful of that as well.”
Cr Halstead said she expected the long-awaited DAMP to be tabled at the August 2025 council meeting.
According to the timeline on the Engage Bass Coast website, following a brief period of consultation on the draft DAMP, in August and September, it is anticipated that the final management plan will be adopted by council at its October 2025 meeting.