Bona Park Off-leash Dog Area

Bona Park's off-leash dog area is a small, fully fenced field on the corner of Bona Street and Sandringham Street in Sans Souci, open around the clock under Bayside Council rules. The flat grass and double-gated entry make it a low-stress daily option, particularly for smaller or shy dogs that do better inside a secure fence.

The rules at the gate

Dogs stay on lead until you are safely inside the double-gated entry, and back on lead before you leave. Even inside the fence, owners must stay in the park, keep their dog in sight and maintain effective voice control. Any dog showing aggressive or anti-social behaviour has to be leashed and taken out straight away, and waste goes in the on-site bins immediately. Off-leash status applies only within the fenced zone; council rules keep dogs leashed and clear of playgrounds elsewhere in the reserve.

Worth knowing

There is a dedicated dog water station and bench seating, but the gaps matter: no lighting, so treat it as a daytime park despite the 24-hour access, no public toilets on site, and limited shade, so bring sun protection through summer. The surface is flat grass with good sight lines across the whole enclosure, which helps if you are managing a dog around others.

Pepsi: double gates help, but watch the doorway when two dogs arrive at once. That is where a quick escape happens.

Getting there and parking

Free on-street parking sits along the surrounding residential streets. Buses along nearby Rocky Point Road get you within a short walk. Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the quiet windows; weekend mornings and after-work hours draw the regular crowd.

Close by with the dogs

This is a grass park rather than a swimming spot, but the Sans Souci Beach walking path and Sandringham Harbour Dog Beach cover the waterfront leg nearby. Frys Reserve in Kogarah is another fenced option a short drive north, and Ape Cafe is the local coffee stop.

More options are on the New South Wales dog parks guide and the Sans Souci destination page.