Interactive app guides furry friend fun

If you are a dog owner on the Sunshine Coast make sure you are using the Sunshine Coast Council interactive, mobile-friendly map. The map has been designed to help dog owners identify off-leash, on-leash and prohibited areas in real-time when they are on the go.

The website, pets.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au, also accessible via Council’s app, allows people to zoom in to where they are on a map and see what the doggie requirements are. In addition it provides locations for dog water bowls, bag dispensers and marine turtle nests.

Buddina local Samantha Turner said that the interactive map had taken her family and their cavoodle, Scout, on adventures they didn’t know existed before downloading the app.

“It is handy to check things like beach access in my local area but as a family we have also enjoyed exploring new places,” Samantha said.

“For example, we were on our way to visit some friends in Peregian Springs. I opened the app, found The Avenue Park and took Scout and the kids for a good run around beforehand.

“Another area we’ve discovered is the park near the foreshore of Weyba Creek. We took some morning tea and admired all the beautiful nature.”

The Sunshine Coast Council area requires that dogs are on leash at all times unless otherwise signed. The map features colour-coded areas to show off-leash at all times (yellow), off-leash at specified times (purple) and prohibited at all times (red).

The map has been designed to be used while on-the-go via a mobile phone, however it can also be viewed on a computer from home.

You can either view it via the website at pets.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au or download the Sunshine Coast Council app and click on ‘Things to Do’.

With around 13 kilometres of dog-friendly beach along our coastline, as well as more than 25 fenced and unfenced dog parks across the region, there are plenty of safe and enjoyable places to check out with your furry friend.

If you are heading out with your dog, please be a responsible pet owner and remember to always have doggie bags with you and place them in the bin.