When in Europe last year there were dogs in the inner cities, people took them into shops even, no-one ever seemed to mind and it was quite cute when you see a dog waiting for it's owner while they were trying something on ;)

I recently went to Melbourne and noticed the huge amount of dogs in the Albert Park area. A lot of houses had water bowls outside them, as well as all the cafe's. It definitely created a "safer" feel to the place as there were always people out with their dogs because it was such a dog friendly place.

In my area we have a lot of dogs, and it's a pretty safe area, but the poo being left on the streets is just rediculous. If people were more responsible (dogs on leashes and poo being picked up) then I think that there would be less people who were anti-dog because it would create that community feel with lots of people out strolling etc.

Totally true. You only have to go to New York to see the truth of this one. It's a big city, full of high rise office and apartment blocks - and yet the dog ownership seems higher than it does in NZ. And heaps of those dogs are being taken for walks on the streets and hanging out at the dog parks. It humanises the city, starts conversations between strangers. If we got a bit over the whole urban thing, we'd just go hang out at one of the dog parks and dachshund spot (NY is one of the top dachshund spotting places in the world). Despite NY (and various other huge cities around the world) being much more densely populated than our cities, the dogs seem to have more rights, a more recognised valid place in the city. NZ is in fact one of the most un dog friendly places around. When are we going to recognise animals as a valid part of our lives, entitled to participate in our world and our activities, and punish the few bad ones (owners and dogs!) rather than the vast majority of well behaved ones?

Right, rant over, time to do some work!

I dont know if i necessarily agree on a tax cut as you have to remember these dog parks take money to maintain. If the only benefit ( being to many to name anyway ) i get out of having a dog is a dog park like the one at the groynes id be happy, hours of fun for my family and the dogs for the cost of a bit of petrol and a bit of picnic food.

Dogs are what you want them to be, they have multiple benefits, both beneficial for the dog and the owner.

I would sum up what i'm about to say with the words 'Flow On Effect'. Walking your dog contributes to the social aspect of a community, you're out and about giving life to the street or dog park. You are both getting exercise, you may even meet or converse with another dog owner or non dog owner as well. And I like to think that dogs have a certain aesthetic value as well, I know that when we take our Shih Tzu out it often draws attention, which in turn gets people thinking about that particular breed of dog or dogs in general.

Walking your dog = Increased dog awareness (not in the criminal sense)

So Bradford Pulmer (whoever that is) says that dog parks could encourage dog owners to move from the suburbs into the cities? And this would be a good thing how?

And for who? Certainly not for the dogs. If you don't have a back yard you shouldn't have a dog.

Making an analogy with the possible benefits of dog owning to the benefits from other peoples' children is interesting. I don't know what immediate benefits i get from people who choose to have children. They are future tax payers so will help pay for my retirement. But there are plenty of people who didn't think about the burden and responsiblity that childen entail, just like a lot of dog owners. Maybe we need an equvilant of CYFS for dogs to prevt all the damage a badly owned dog can do. Responsible dog owners do help create a critial mass of dog ownership for increased political power for all dog owners. But in NZ we wre blessed with lots of green space and room for suburbs. Maybe as more people move to live in cities, inner city dog ownership will increase and it's benefits will be seen here

I spent a couple of days in Masterton over the New Year, and took my two dogs to Henley Park quite a few times. That place is a credit to the town, and to those who maintain it. There were free poo bags at the entrances, and green doggie bins everywhere. Dogs of all shapes and sizes were trotting around happily off-lead and socialising with one another without any problems, and all the people were friendly and said Hello as we walked past. There is nowhere like this in Wellington, and that’s such a shame. I think it’s great that dogs are now allowed in Waitangi Park, as it’s always so nice to see people out enjoying themselves with their dogs.

@Tom Avery #7 - Thats's pretty ignorant. Without people having children you wouldn't survive. Not only are they paying for your retirement, but they'll be your Doctor at the retirement home. They'll be the ones supplying your food at the supermarket, milking the cows so you can have milk on your cereal. Need I go on.

While I'm not adverse to pets, I dont have any currently, but my flatmate has a dog. Whilst she may believe she is an expert in animal training, her animal's behaviour certainly does her no credit. To that end, her dog ownership does nothing for the wider community or whatever, because it is a pain in the rear. Except that it maybe helps contribute to the income of my local community shopping centre as I seek to get out of the house when she is home wiht it. I think that dog ownership having wider community benefits depends entirely on the owner, the breed, and the overall behaviour of the dog.