13 hours ago
Dispute breaks out as dog owner is warned they are breaking a ridiculous rule after committing a very common act: 'Don't film'
A dog owner has clashed with a council worker over a little-known rule about pets in public.
The dispute began when two City of Gold Coast workers told the owner that she wasn't allowed to tie her dog to a tree outside her motorhome.
In footage taken by the owner's male friend and shared to TikTok, two council officers approached the vehicle and ordered the man not to video the exchange, saying he was not given 'permission'.
He argued it was a 'public place' and continued to film the conversation while one of the officers, who appeared to be wearing a bodycam device, introduced herself as Helen.
'You can't have your dog tethered to this tree. You can have him tethered to your vehicle,' she said.
The man filming the exchange challenged the council worker, asking what law she was referring to.
Dog owners on the Gold Coast are required to keep dogs on a leash unless in a designated off-leash area. Failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine of $806.
The dog in question appeared to be securely tied to a tree.
'It's great that you have him on a lead but people are walking past here and somebody said he was barking at them, they were afraid and he was aggressive,' Helen said.
She explained a complaint had been made to the council and she, and her colleague, had been asked to investigate.
'I'm recording this conversation as we're in a public space. I'm protecting my rights,' the man said as he questioned the council workers authority regarding the complaint.
Helen turned to the dog owner and asked whether she was responsible for three dogs she had seen next to the motorhome 'because this is a public place with people walking up and down'.
The cameraman explained the two officers worked for the Gold Coast City Council for the benefit of the recording as Helen turned to him and asked him to be quiet.
At this point, the male council worker, who had been standing away from the exchange, told Helen to 'leave it'.
'Keep [the dog] tethered to the truck and that will be fine,' Helen told the owner before walking away.
'The other two dogs when we came around the corner, they were off lead so if they're in [the motorhome] that's completely fine, but once they come outside they've got to be on lead.'
Once the workers had walked away, the man behind the camera told his friend that 'when you hit them with the actual law they've got no authority'.
A City of Gold Coast spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that 'ensuring a dog is under "effective control" in public is a legal requirement under the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008'.
'In all public places, a dog owner/keeper must be physically capable of controlling the dog, by either having the dog on a leash or securely tethered to a fixed object under continuous supervision,' he said.
'These laws are designed to protect public safety and reduce the risk of dog attacks.
'As of July 2024, failing to maintain effective control can result in an on-the-spot fine of $806, with more severe penalties for serious incidents.'
Social media users appeared to side with the dog owner and accuse council of overreach.
'All local councils need to be abolished,' one wrote.
