Importance of dogs in the life of CCC

I visit many different areas in Clarence to walk my dog and meet friends. Several friends are "ageing well" as I hope I am myself. This is in no small way due to my dog. It means I make new friends as I talk to other dog owners all the time. We usually go for lunch/dinner after our walk and so contribute to the local economy at a time when it is really vital to support local small cafes. I've been lucky enough to travel up the East Coast a couple of times this year and have met several Australian tourists now travelling with their pets. I found myself consistently praising Clarence as a great place to visit with your dog due to it's beautiful trails and Bellerive and Howrah beaches, plus dining opportunities. Clarence has WHO "Age friendly city and community" status. Your own strategic plan has a photo of a dog waling with it's owner on page 21. The plan talks about promoting active and healthy lifestyles and facilitating residents being connected to the community. Your "Age friendly Clarence plan" acknowledges " the important role that companion animals or pet ownership has to social connections" It also talks about "developing and delivering services to promote social engagement" A lot of these objectives are achieved at no cost to the council simply by being dog friendly, promoting dog ownership and giving people the space to walk their dogs on and off lead. Please give us more of the same not less.