Dogs on the beach

Dogs love the beach as much as we do, and Kāpiti has some fantastic off-leash areas where dogs can run and play freely.

Full details of on/off-leash areas and prohibited dog zones are outlined in exercise areas, along with other information to help dog owners.

Control | Cleaning up | Watch out for... | Seasonal beach dog zones

Control

It’s your responsibility to keep your dog under control at all times; so even if it's an off-leash area, it’s best to keep your dog on a lead if you're unsure how they'll react.

If you’d like extra support with training your dog, there are a number of local businesses and community groups running regular dog obedience courses.

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Cleaning up

Be prepared for doggy “indiscretions”. Carry spare bags, and always pick up your dog’s poo for appropriate disposal; it makes the beach more pleasant for everyone, and safer for little ones playing in the sand.

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Watch out for... 

See Looking after our beaches for how you and your dog can help protect Kāpiti's significant and sensitive flora and fauna.

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Seasonal beach dog zones

Where your dog can go on the beach can change from season to season, so make sure you're familiar with the rules, and the maps below. 

• Summer zones apply from 1 December to the end of daylight saving.
• Winter zones apply from the end of daylight saving, to end of 30 November.

Summer changes

From…	to…	summer rules are…
Beach Road, Paekākāriki	Wainui Stream Estuary	10am–7pm – on-leash 7pm–10am – off-leash
Takitimu Road, Raumati Beach	Wharemauku Stream, Raumati Beach	10am–7pm – no dogs 7pm–10am – on-leash
Rua Road, Paraparaumu Beach	Kāpiti Boating Club	10am–7pm – no dogs 7pm–10am – on-leash
Waikanae Boating Club	Waimeha Stream sensitive site, Waikanae Beach	10am–7pm – no dogs 7pm–10am – on-leash
Karaka Street, Ōtaki Beach	Ōtaki Surf Club	10am–7pm – on-leash 7pm–10am – off-leash

Rules for other areas remain the same all year round. 

The following maps show the summer and winter dog access zones for each area (specifically on- and off-leash areas), and areas where no dogs are permitted:  

• Dog exercise zones – summer (check that Legend is turned on)
• Dog exercise zones – winter (check that Legend is turned on)
• Ōtaki dog access areas[PDF 260 KB] 
• Paekākāriki dog access areas[PDF 205 KB] 
• Paraparaumu dog access areas[PDF 335 KB] 
• Waikanae dog access areas[PDF 324 KB]
• Raumati dog access areas[PDF 256 KB] 
• Te Horo / Peka Peka dog access areas[PDF 231 KB] 

See the Dog Control Bylaw 2019 for more information and a full list of dog parks, exercise areas, and summer and winter zones.

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