• Carlie Shackleton, 14-year-old son Josh and Jana the doberman at the Success leash-free park they hope the council will fence on safety grounds. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

CALLS to fence a pooch play area in Success are gaining wide support on Facebook.

More than 50 people have so far backed Hammond Park woman Carlie Shackleton’s idea to fence the Purslane Park dog park at the busy corner of Hammond and Russell Roads.

While the park is listed as “leash free” on the Cockburn council website, Ms Shackleton says people rarely let pooches loose because big trucks often zoom past.

“It would need to be a high fence so large dogs can’t jump over it,” she told the Herald.

“It’s just too dangerous for them to be running around without it because there are busy roads nearby.”

Agility

She also wants the council to install agility play equipment.

Ms Shackleton’s call follows the much-hyped May opening of the only fenced pooch play area in the municipality—the Yarra Vista Reserve on Dean Road, Jandakot. “We went to…Yarra Vista today and loved it but would love to have one closer,” Em Richards commented.

Cr Stephen Pratt told the Herald he’d asked council officers to examine the feasibility of fencing the park and says he’ll raise it at council.

Cockburn has 30 “leash-free” dog exercise parks for 10,873 registered dogs across the city.

Hammond Park has 344 registered dogs. Neighbouring Success has 773.

by EMMIE DOWLING