STACEY Fredrick was enjoying a relaxing day at Cedar Creek Falls with her dog last week when she witnessed a distressing situation.

"This young couple came down (to the falls) and they had a very large black dog and it wasn't on a lead at all,” she said.

"(The dog) went into the water and it must have gone over to this little girl, because it was in deep water and couldn't touch the ground.”

Ms Fredrick said the little girl was repeatedly dunked in the water and emerged from the water crying, with six scratches on her back.

Ms Fredrick took her frustration to a local Facebook page which prompted the question: are dogs allowed at Cedar Creek Falls? And should dogs be allowed to roam off leash?

A Whitsunday Regional Council spokesperson said although dogs are permitted at Cedar Creek Falls, dogs are required to be on a lead and under effective control at all times.

They said conditions of use of the council's off-leash areas have conditions clearly displayed at the entrance of each zone.

Ms Fredrick said she regularly walked her dog in the Cannonvale area and had previously been approached by an off-leash dog.

She said she wanted to see something done to stop a potential dangerous event.

"No matter how many times people are told to put their dogs on the lead, they don't listen,” she said.

People need to understand that not every dog is going to like every other dog.

"You're going to come across two dogs who don't like each other and something is going to happen.”

The council said any incidents involving dogs and possible breaches of local law must be reported to the council for investigation.