The City has many excellent parks and reserves to exercise your pets. Dogs are welcome in most parks, however there are some areas where dogs are not permitted or must be on a leash.
Dog control guidelines
Your dog is not considered under control if it:
- Chases or disturbs wildlife, other dogs, or people
- Acts in a threatening or aggressive manner
- Attacks or injures another animal or person
- Is a considerable distance from their owner(s) preventing response to verbal commands. This includes being able to recall to their owner(s).
Requirements at parks and reserves
When bringing your dog into parks and reserves:
- Pay attention to any signage regarding dog control regulations.
- Dogs should be kept on a leash at all times when in public places, including sidewalks, parking lots, and shopping centers, unless within a designated dog exercise area or an off-leash dog park.
- In designated dog exercise areas or off-leash dog parks, dogs must always remain under effective control to ensure that these areas can be enjoyed by all members of the community.
Prohibited dog areas
There are some areas where dogs are prohibited and others where dogs must be on a leash at all times. This is to assist with the safety and well-being of native animals and birds in and around these areas or highly populated sporting venues. Prohibited dog areas include:
Dog prohibited parks
- Percy Doyle Reserve, Duncraig
- Heathridge Park, Heathridge
- Mawson Park, Hillarys
- Whitford Nodes, Hillarys
- Blue Lake Park, Joondalup
- Central Park, Joondalup
- Neil Hawkins Park, Joondalup
- Foreshore, Burns Beach to Marmion (apart from Hillarys Dog Beach and the Coastal dual use path)
- Tom Simpson Park, Mullaloo
- Macdonald Park, Padbury
- Craigie Open Space.
Dogs permitted ON lead
- Warwick Open Space
- Lilburne Park Conservation Area
- Hepburn Conservation Area
- Shepherds Bush Park
- Coastal dual path from Burns Beach to Marmion
- Dog Beach access path
- Windermere Park
- Yellagonga Regional Park.
Dogs permitted OFF lead
The City has over 200 parks and reserves where dogs are permitted off-lead. View parks in your area.
Hillarys Dog Beach
The Hillarys Dog Beach is a stretch of coastline dedicated all year round to the exercising of dogs. Dogs may be exercised within the dog beach area off-lead but must remain under effective control and supervision.
Restrictions
Dogs may also be exercised within the Hillarys Horse Beach area, immediately to the north of the dog beach, under the following restrictions:
- Monday – Saturday AM – on leash on horse beach
- Monday – Saturday PM – off-leash if under effective control
- All day Sunday – off-leash if under effective control
- Dogs must be on a lead in carpark
- Dogs must be on a lead on footpath to and from the beach
- Dogs may not enter the beach via the Whitford Nodes South Car Park beach access path or the northern Hillarys Marina groyne. However, they may be walked on-leash along the dual-use pathway to the designated dog beach area.
Hillarys Horse Beach
The Hillarys Horse Beach, also known as the Whitfords Horse Beach, is located immediately north of the Hillarys Dog Beach. It is used predominately for recovery from exercise or injury by horses and is most popularly used during the early morning.
Horse and float car parking is available next to the horse beach. The following access applies:
- Horse owners may park and access the beach from daybreak to midday, Monday to Saturday
- All other times horses are prohibited from the beach area.
