The Te Anau Community Board has decided to keep its by-law in place that prohibits dogs to walk along the town's main street.

Fiordland dogs have lots of place to sniff and roam, but the main street of Te Anau will continue to be off limits.

The Te Anau Community Board voted unanimously this week (May 1) to maintain Town Centre's dog-free status quo after consulting with the public earlier this year.

According to the Southland District Council, community opinion was evenly split on the matter.

Board chairwoman Sarah Greaney said the lack of consensus among the community didn't make it compelling enough for the board to pursue a change.

She said the board also factored in the town's large tourism numbers, with many visitors not being accustomed to interacting with dogs.

The Dog Control Bylaw 2015 was adopted after community consultation. The predominant theme from the community was the desire to maintain Ivon Wilson Park and the Lakefront Reserve as off-leash areas. 

According to the council, only three submitters raised the town centre dog-free rules in 2015. 

In the Southland District, only Winton and Te Anau prohibit dogs in the town centre. All other towns in the Southland district permit dogs on a leash in their town centres.