Thomas Oval Fenced Dog Park

Thomas Oval Fenced Dog Park is a purpose-built off-leash space in Como Park, South Yarra, giving Melbourne dogs room to run, sniff and play within a secure 4,600-square-metre enclosure. Opened in October 2022, it has a double-gated entry system and two separate areas designed for different play styles: an active zone for energetic dogs and a quieter zone for smaller, calmer or more timid dogs.

The park’s layout offers more variety than a simple grassed run. Dogs can explore turf, bark-covered garden areas and sandpits, with plants including trees, shrubs and flowers adding different textures and scents. Sandpits are available in both zones for dogs that enjoy digging. The trees are still young and provide limited shade, but covered seating gives owners somewhere protected to sit while keeping an eye on the action. There are also water stations in the main and smaller-dog sections.

For practical visits, dog-bag dispensers are positioned just outside the enclosed area. The website notes that there are no waste bins inside the fenced off-leash sections, so visitors should be prepared to carry used bags out. The separate quiet zone makes the park particularly useful for owners whose dogs may not suit a busy, high-energy play area, while the active zone caters to dogs needing space to burn off energy. It can work for solo outings or as a meeting point for local dog owners, with seating options that make it easier to stay and supervise.

The park sits alongside Como Park North and the Main Yarra Trail, so a visit can be combined with a riverside walk before or after off-leash time. Access is available via a wooden boardwalk from Alexandra Avenue or stairs from Como Park. Parking is listed along Alexandra Avenue and Williams Road North, although the area can be busy on Friday afternoons and weekends. The 605 bus stops near Como Park, with small dogs permitted when carried in a suitable animal container. Nearby Kanteen Cafe offers another stop during a longer outing. The wider parkland has a long local history, developing from former swampland into a public recreation ground, and is situated on lands connected with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the East Kulin nation.