On 24 November 2021, the Inner West Council installed signs at Yeo Park stating the park was a strictly on-leash area only. 

There is now a $330 fine for anyone who exercises their dog off-leash. Prior to lockdown, rangers regularly patrolled the area targeting dogs off-leash - it is expected that this will soon begin again. 

Yeo Park has an active and respectful community of local dog owners who regularly exercise their dogs off-leash with no issue. Some residents have been coming to Yeo Park for 20 years. 

The recent ramp-up of Council efforts to explicitly ban off-leash dog exercising is not reflective of current use of the park, with many owners choosing to exercise off-leash. 

At present, there are only two off-leash areas for dogs in the Ashfield Ward (Cadigal Reserve & Johnson Park). In comparison, Marrickville & Leichhardt Ward have six each, Stanmore Ward has seven and Balmain Ward has 22 off-leash areas. 

Yeo Park is the closest park for approximately 4,500 residents. Its size makes it an ideal area for off-leash exercising (including ball chasing, running and other important activities for dogs), without impacting other park users. The only other park of a comparable size is Ashfield Park, which does not allow off-leash exercising. 

We propose that Council consider either a timed off-leash area or a dedicated off-leash area for dogs at Yeo Park. Please sign our petition to help!