Roaming dogs and another dead wallaby
(The following is a first hand account from a local offshore resident)
Late in the afternoon on Thursday 30 November, two local lads rescued a wallaby and a dog from a channel in the Bays. It appeared that the dog – a roaming animal that belongs to a local family – was pursuing the wallaby through the water.
The dog was returned to its owners and the wallaby was taken ashore and released. It was low tide at the time. However, instead of heading for the relative safety of the bush, the wallaby followed the shoreline west toward another bay. It is very likely that it was frightened, exhausted, and disoriented by this time.
A little later, and not far from the rescue and release operation, another locally known roaming dog was seen dragging a wallaby carcass on the low-tide sand flats. Upon inspection, it was determined that the wallaby was a healthy buck that was only recently dead and fully wet from being in the water. Its head had been partly devoured by the dog however, the rest of its body appeared unscathed.
We don’t currently have data on how many dogs live part or full-time in the Bays, but they are numerous and their number seems to be increasing. Unfortunately, some of these dogs are not restrained, properly supervised or trained.
In addition to the obvious trauma to our protected wildlife, the consequences of careless dog ownership can also be destructive to the fabric of our community; for example, other dog owners are often emboldened to behave in similar ways, thereby creating and/or exacerbating neighbourhood frictions; wildlife-attacking dogs may develop a ‘taste’ for the rewards and their behaviour can shift from opportunistic to deliberate stalking and/or killing; and frustrated residents may decide to take dog-control matters into their own hands, which can create its own set of escalating problems.
The onus is on dog owners to ensure that their dog or dogs are not a nuisance and do not pose a threat to anyone or anything. If you witness a dog roaming or otherwise acting contrary to council regulations (see excerpts below), and its owners do not immediately act to rectify the issue, please report it to Northern Beaches Council:
Dogs who bark incessantly, roam and are aggressive are deemed a nuisance.
A nuisance order may be issued if your dog repeatedly roams the neighbourhood, makes noise, defecates on peoples’ property, chases a person, animal or vehicle or damages property.
The law requires that your dog must be under effective control at all times and that you dispose of dog poo in a suitable manner.
The most unacceptable behaviour from dogs is aggression toward humans or other animals. As a dog owner, you are responsible for your dog’s actions.
The maximum penalty for a dog attack is $20,000.
Please call Council immediately about dog attacks on 1300 434 434.
Additional Information: