WODONGA Council has responded to a "significant spike" in dogs attacks during the COVID-19 shutdown by ensuring dogs must be on a leash at all times in public.
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The only areas dogs can run free are designated off-leash areas already existing in the city and three dedicated swim areas at Lake Hume, Killara Creek and Wodonga Creek.
Cr Kat Bennett instigated the review into dog controls in May, but was an apology from a meeting this week when the changes were ticked off 5-1.
The only councillor to vote against the move, Ron Mildren, feared the council was making "some big mistakes here" with dog owners in rural areas and disabled persons to be severely impacted by the decision.
"We are not just an urban municipality, we have a lot of rural areas," he said.
"We also have people with disabilities who have dogs to support them, aid them and assist them and they do that off-leash both in public and in private homes.
"We have farm dogs who work cattle from one property using public roads and public land.
"We need to get the policy right in the first place.
"If our staff enforce this in the manner it is written we're going to have a lot of trouble brewing into the future."
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Council chief executive Mark Dixon has been handed responsibility to "assess, amend and designate public areas" in Wodonga for off-leash areas.
"When we saw an increase in dog walking around most of our public parks and pathways as a result of the COVID restrictions, we also saw a significant spike in dog attacks," he said.
"It is that concern that drove this change.
"Of course there will always be exceptions and our rangers would be pragmatic in their enforcement.
"They will always side with education before moving to enforcement."
According to council data, there had been nine more complaints about dogs attacking humans compared to the previous financial year, and 15 more dog attacks involving other animals.
Cr Libby Hall said she used to like to take her dog to Lake Hume and allow him to swim, but noted "there are irresponsible people out there who don't have control of their dogs".
"I would like to get this policy right before we actually adopt it," she said.
Mayor Anna Speedie played down the impacts of the policy on those living on farms or rural areas.
"This is about (people) walking through Willow Park and walking past numerous other dogs, numerous other people," she said.
"This is about picking up the 98 per cent of our population who needs to be kept safe."
