Every time I visit Emerald Lakes Dog Park with my energetic dog, we face the same problem — there is no drinking water inside the dog park. After running and playing, my dog regularly leaves the park extremely thirsty and sometimes foaming at the mouth, with no way to have a drink while he is exercising.

Emerald Lakes Dog Park is a popular fenced off-leash area used by many local residents, yet the closest drinking water stations are approximately 350 metres away at the boat ramp and 600 metres away near the children's playground.

For a dog that needs a drink during exercise, this means leaving the dog park entirely, walking to another area for water, and then walking back.

It is also a significant accessibility issue. Many of the people I regularly see using this dog park are elderly or have limited mobility. Asking someone to walk an additional 700 metres return to the closest water station simply so their dog can have a drink is not a reasonable solution — and for some people, it simply isn't possible.

Dogs come to this park specifically to run, play and exercise. Particularly in the Gold Coast climate, they should be able to access drinking water while they are exercising, not have to leave the park to find it.

We are asking the City of Gold Coast to install one permanent drinking water station with a dog bowl inside the fenced Emerald Lakes Dog Park.

It is a relatively small piece of infrastructure that would make a significant difference to the dogs and people who use this park every day.

Dogs shouldn't have to leave the dog park just to have a drink.

Please sign and share this petition to help us show Council that our community supports having drinking water available inside Emerald Lakes Dog Park.