Have you spotted the new 'NO DOGS' stickers at Pilot Bay and Main Mount Beach?

There are only 2,500 New Zealand dotterel left in the country, and Mount Maunganui is one of the popular spots where dotterels like to nest.

The Tauranga community is committed to doing its part to make sure these numbers rise, not dwindle, and keeping dogs away is a major part of that.

A newly hatched rare dotterel chick and its parent on Mount Main Beach. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Frequently nesting and feeding amongst the rocks around the Mount Main Beach area are oyster catchers, while Mauao and Moturiki is home to hundreds of little blue penguins.

An often unknown feature of Mauao is that there is a colony of grey-faced petrels breeding there. This is an extraordinary feat, given how close the colony is to urban life and local cafes.

Little blue penguins at Mount Maunganui. Photo: Melissa McLuskie.

As so much of this area is a wildlife reserve, with all sorts of protected wildlife that live and nest there,  just having a dog nearby can upset their nesting and breeding.

And now Tauranga City Council's Animal Services team is reminding dog owners at ground level, that there is a $300 fine for taking their furry friend into this wildlife protected zone.

Dogs are not allowed on the dunes, grass or boardwalk at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. This also means dogs are not allowed on the grassed area or boardwalk between the road and beach at Pilot Bay.

New 'NO DOGS $300 FINE' stickers are now at Mount Main Beach and Pilot Bay at Mount Maunganui. Photo: Supplied.

When downtown the Mount, make sure you keep an eye out for signage for where you can and cannot take your dog. Or head to the Tauranga City Council website for more information

Dogs can be exercised off-leash in any park, reserve, beach or public area across Tauranga, except in areas identified as on-leash or prohibited. Check out our webpage for more info

These are part of our education to dog owners, reminding them where they can’t have their dogs.

Let’s do our part in protecting our wildlife!

Ensure you know where you can and can't go. The red in the map outlines where you can't take your dog as there is protected wildlife in the area. Map: Tauranga City Council.

Dog exercising areas

Tauranga has plenty of parks and reserves that are perfect for exercising dogs. If your dog is likely to cause danger, distress or a nuisance, it must be kept on a leash. Also, please be mindful of our no dog and on-leash areas.

When walking your dog, make sure you have a lead with you and attach it if you are approaching another dog, animal or person. It's your responsibility to ensure you have control of your dog at all times.

Please remember to always take a plastic bag with you and pick up after your dog.

Dogs are allowed over on the cafe side of Marine Parade at Mount Main Beach but not on the beach side of the road. Photo: Supplied.

Exercising areas

Off-leash areas

Dogs can be exercised off-leash in any park, reserve, beach or public area across Tauranga, except in areas identified as on-leash or prohibited (see below).

On-leash areas

Your dog should be on a leash on any footpath, road reserve (road, berm and grassed area) or state highway, and must be on a leash at all times in these areas:

• Matua Salt Marsh
• Papamoa Dune Wilderness Area between Papamoa Domain and Taylors Road
• Omanu Surf Club car park
• When transiting the beach and foreshore in front of Omanu Surf Club/Papamoa Domain car parks
• When transiting the beach and foreshore in front of Papamoa Domain
• From Moturiki (Leisure Island) to the rocky outcrop heading towards Papamoa from 1 February to 31 July each year
• Motiti Reserve, and the beach in front of Motiti Reserve (only applies 15 December to 15 February 10am to 5pm)

For full details of Tauranga City Council's on-leash areas, refer to the Dog Management Bylaw 2018.

Tauranga has plenty of areas to take dogs for a walk and some fun. Photo: File.

In prohibited areas where no dogs are allowed

There are some areas in Tauranga where you are not allowed to take your dog, either because of ecological sensitivities or because the area is used intensively by the public. These areas include:

Beaches

• Mount Maunganui Main Beach, from Moturiki (Leisure Island) to Mauao (Mount Maunganui)
• Beach foreshore from Moturiki (Leisure Island) to the rocky outcrop heading towards Papamoa (this area is known as Shark Alley) from 1 August to 31 January each year
• Pilot Bay from Mauao to Salisbury Avenue
• Beach in front of Omanu Surf Club, between beach access markers 0003 and 0004 (exception: dogs on leash can transit through this area)
• Beach in front of Papamoa Domain (exception: dogs on leash can transit through this area)

Beach means any land on or adjacent to the seacoast and includes any walkway, boardwalk, the foreshore and dunes. 

This means that dogs are not allowed on the dunes, grass or boardwalk at Mount Maunganui Main Beach. This also means dogs are not allowed on the grassed area or boardwalk between the road and beach at Pilot Bay.

Parks and reserves

• Mauao (Mount Maunganui) including the base track
• Moturiki (Leisure Island)
• McLaren Falls Park (within Western Bay of Plenty District Council)
• Omanawa Falls (within Western Bay of Plenty District Council)
• Papamoa Hills Park (within Western Bay of Plenty District Council)
• Within 10 metres from any public play equipment
• Within 10 metres of any exercise equipment  in reserves
• Otumoetai Pa Historic Reserve at 29 Levers Road

For full details of Tauranga City Council's prohibited dog areas, refer to the Dog Management Bylaw 2018.

Disability assist dogs

Some dogs do not have to be leashed in public and can be taken into areas normally prohibited to dogs. These dogs have been certified by one of the organisations listed below as being a dog that has been trained (or is being trained) to assist a person with a disability. 

• Assistance Dogs New Zealand
• Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand
• K9 Medical Detection New Zealand
• Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust
• New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dogs Trust
• Perfect Partners Assistance Dogs Trust
• Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind Incorporated

This also includes specified agency dogs on active service such as:

• Department of Conservation pest control dogs
• Police Dogs