Dog Safety Week
Dog Safety Week is a chance for all pet owners, non-pet owners, families and children to learn more about creating a safe and harmonious co-existence between people, pets and places.
Dog Safety Week - 20 to 26 October 2025
Dog Safety Week is a chance for all pet owners, non-pet owners, families and children to learn more about creating a safe and harmonious co-existence between people, pets and places.
Pop-up booths
- Want to know how you make sure your pet’s registration is up-to-date? Have a question about where you can take your dog off-lead? What should you do about a neighbour’s dog that is barking?
- Come down and talk to Council’s Response Services Team at different locations across the week to learn more about owning a pet on the Sunshine Coast.
- Learn how to keep our local wildlife safe. ‘Leave it’ (https://www.leaveit.com.au/) is a free dog training app, designed to teach owners how to train dogs to avoid wildlife.
- FREE activities for the kids and take home Sunny’s Pet Safety bag to keep the kids busy and happy.
Pop-up locations
| Location | Date | Time |
| Stumer Creek (dog off leash beach), Coolum | Monday 20 October 2025 | 7am-9am |
| Elizabeth Daniels dog off leash park, Buderim | Tuesday 21 October 2025 | 3.30pm-5.30pm |
| Mooloolaba Spit, Mooloolaba | Wednesday 22 October 2025 | 7am-9am |
| La Balsa Park, Parkyn Pde, Buddina | Thursday 23 October 2025 | 7am-9am |
| Buhk Family Park, Alexandra Headland | Friday 24 October 2025 | 3.30pm-5.30pm |
| *Maleny Showgrounds, Maleny | Saturday 25 October 2025 | 8am-10am |
| *Tickle Park, David Low Way, Coolum Beach | Saturday 25 October 2025 | 2pm-4pm |
| *Ballinger Beach (dog off leash beach), Currimundi | Sunday 26 October 2025 | 7am-9am |
*Saturday
Our pop-up event will run alongside:
- The Behaviour Change team’s ‘Leave It’ Wildlife Avoidance Training, limited spots, book now!
- Coolum & North Shore Coast Care for expert advise on Turtle Care and protecting local wildlife.
*Sunday
Our pop-up event is joined by:
- Sunshine Coast Council TurtleCare volunteers on hand to provide expert advise and bringing awareness to the upcoming turtle nesting season.
- AES on hand to provide messages on keep dogs healthy and safe
Dog safety tips
These tips will help everyone to enjoy being out and about on the Sunshine Coast.
Remember leash, tag and bag – before you walk
By remembering to bring your leash, council registration tag and poo bags when walking your dogs you can keep them safe and keep our region clean. Also, if your dog does happen to get lost the tag will allow the council to make sure they get home quickly and safely.
View on video
Protect your mate, lock the gate
Having a secure yard will help keep your pets safe at home. If a dog does escape their yard, they may end up roaming near dangerous busy roads. We can prevent accidents from happening by remembering to ‘protect your mate, lock the gate’.
Share the space, keep each other safe
We all share the same foot paths, cycle paths and open spaces. Let’s make sure everyone feels safe and welcome in these spaces by keeping your dogs on-leash (in on-leash areas) and not allowing them to interfere with other people who may be enjoying the space in their own way.
Take it slow before you say ‘hello’
It’s polite to ask first! Not all dogs are friendly and not all people love dogs. When approaching a dog it’s important to remember to ask the owner if you, your child or your dog is allowed to say ‘hello’. If the owner says no, that’s okay. If they say yes, take it slow and let the dog come visit you or your dog, even the friendliest dog can get scared if we rush things.
- Teach your kids to ask a parent or guardian if they can pat the dog
- Ask the dog owner if you can pat the dog
- Let the dog come to you and sniff you hand by your side
- Pat dog gently on the back or shoulder
Respect our place, give wildlife space
What a wonderful place we live in, beautiful beaches and an amazing variety of local wildlife. It’s everyone’s job to take care of the creatures we share our space with.
Keep our wildlife safe and happy by:
- keeping cats in a secure area such as a house or a run
- making sure our dogs are on a lead when around wildlife like kangaroos, koalas, snakes, platypus
- respecting the space of nesting turtles or shorebirds.
For more tips see the “Leave It” programme.