CHRISTCHURCH DOG PARK STALLED BY WRITTEN SUBMISSION FROM ONE (1) CAT
Council confirms the submission was signed with a paw print and lodged before the deadline.
A proposed off-leash dog park on a vacant Richmond section has been pushed to a fourth round of consultation. Christchurch City Council accepted a written submission opposing the plan. The submission is from a cat.
The objection is signed "Mittens Harrington-Foote, ratepayer-adjacent". It cites noise, smell, and "erosion of my territorial arrangements." A council officer confirmed it had been accepted because the online form "does not require species verification."
Mittens' owner, Delia Harrington-Foote of Stanmore Road, said she stood by it. "He's lived on that block since 2019. The dogs have lived there zero years. Do the maths." Asked if she'd helped draft it, she said Mittens had "dictated the vibe" and she'd typed.
Neighbour Rangi Petelo called it a piss-take. He's been waiting eighteen months for somewhere to take his kelpie that isn't a carpark. "One cat. Holding up a whole suburb. Only this council."
A Christchurch City Council spokesperson said all submissions would be "weighted on their merits". A hearing is set for late November. Mittens is entitled to speak. Pressed on how that would work, the spokesperson said it was "still being worked through with legal."
The section remains fenced and unmowed. It is ringed by nine road cones of unclear purpose.
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Reader Letters
couchgremlin
Classic council! Rooted.
tired_in_riccarton
I think Mittens has a point. Noise and smell can be disruptive. Why rush a dog park when it’s going to upset residents?
ropeable_dave
Mate, that's not how cities work. We can’t cater to one bloody cat. Prioritise the people who actually use the space!
Sandra McKenzie
Does no one think it's a bit mental letting a cat halt progress? Get your act together, Christchurch!
wayne1987
@Sandra McKenzie, agreed. It's a piss-take of our rates money.