Park Beach Close Dog Park

We are excited to announce that works have commenced on creating Canning’s very first Dog Park in Shelley. In September 2023, Council endorsed the development of a dedicated dog park at Park Beach Close, Shelley.

The dog park at Park Beach Close will have contain infrastructure including:

• chain mesh fence at least 1.2 metres high
• air-lock entry gates
• signage for rules of the park and educational signs about dog behaviour
• shaded seating
• space for dogs to chase a ball
• a drinking fountain for dogs and their owners
• dog bins and bags
• external and internal universally accessible paths

As part of the project the City will undertake revitalisation works of the turf, irrigation, gardens and mulch. The works will impact the park on Park Beach Close but pathways will still be in use for regular users. There is no lighting installed at this park, so we do not anticipate any night-time use. Lighting is out of scope for this project at this time.

Park Beach Close was recommended as a Dog Park in the Shelley Rossmoyne Foreshore Management Plan (PDF 6MB). 

The SRFM Plan identified that the area along the foreshore near Park Beach Close is an important site for native and migratory birds. By having a nearby active space for dogs it may reduce the number of dogs that go into this area of the river, which will be beneficial for our native birds.

The Dog Spaces Strategy which was adopted by Council in 2022 included Park Beach Cl in acknowledgement of the recommendation in the SRFM Plan.

The Dog Spaces Strategy assessed all parks in the City over 10,000 m sq in area, and looked at the site popularity, conservation status, Active Sports ground, pedestrian access, natural shade and parking availability. Areas identified were Park Beach Close and Queens Park Oval.

Park Beach Close has a lot to offer including existing large trees for shade, existing pathways along the river, existing irrigation and scheme water supply, verge space for car parking and garden beds.

Works have commenced and are due for completion July 2024.

Park Beach Close Park is situated in the perfect location as there are already a number of dog walkers taking enjoying the surroundings of the Canning river. We anticipate the majority of visitors to the dog park will be walking there. To cater for a small number of vehicles, the City is investing in converting the kerb on park beach close to be mountable, allowing verge parking. Additionally there is existing street parking at Zenith Park and Riverton Bridge Park a short 5 minute walk away.

If you notice vehicles causing an obstruction or illegally parking, we encourage you to call our Ranger and Community Safety Team on 1300 422 664 to report it.

Did you know 1 in 13 people in Canning own a dog? We’ve noticed the growing demand for dog friendly places. A dog park provides a safe place where dogs can exercise and play.  Dog owners can also meet and interact with each other, helping to build a stronger sense of community.

Plus, this first dog park area will have dedicated spaces for active dogs and passive dogs. So dogs can ‘hang out’ with likeminded dogs.

Find out more information in the City's Dog Spaces Strategy (PDF 11MB).

Advice provided to the City by Dog behaviour experts indicate dogs socialise best with others that match their play style. Dogs with robust, high activity playstyles do not mix well with quieter dogs that prefer to be around but not play with other dogs.

For this reason, the City has decided to split the 2 sections into playstyles, rather than dog size. “Active” is for dogs that enjoy running around and playing with other dogs. “Passive” is for quieter dogs, that prefer to look around at their surrounding and play by themselves, rather than engaging in intense play. This has been likened to the ‘Night-clubbers’ and the ‘Coffee and Cake’ styles of interaction.

The size of the dog has little relevance to sociability.

Feedback from other Local Governments was that parks based on size only (Big and Small dogs) did not always work as the size of a dog doesn’t necessarily relate to its style of exercise and interaction.

The City will undertake an awareness raising initiative to help owners to better understand their dog’s play preferences and to better understand dog behaviour.