Council To Assist In Dog Baiting.

[tybrax]

http://www.qt.com.au/story/2010/05/26/coun...-baiting-rural/

Council to assist with dog baiting

26th May 2010

RURAL residents concerned about wild dogs on their properties can now contact Ipswich City Council direct to instigate individual baiting programs with council assistance.

Health and Regulation Committee chairman Andrew Antoniolli said wild dogs were a class-two declared pest under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002.

“Under the provisions of this Act wild dogs must be controlled by the landholder,” he said.

“Ipswich City Council started conducting wild-dog baiting programs in September 2005 and ran two programs in May and September in each year since.

“Council's first baiting program attracted 10 landholders who participated in the program and, over the years, this number has reduced to just two landholders, and council officers conducted the service on their land.

“We believe the program managed to resolve the problems on most properties and, because of the low numbers, we will now continue to offer the service when requested by landholders.”

Cr Antoniolli said, if rural landholders had concerns with wild dogs on their properties, the council would provide a baiting service on the properties provided the area to be baited fell within the required guidelines.

Edited May 26, 2010 by tybrax

[GardenofEden]

Not happy with the baiting issue. A painful and agonising death, unbelievably cruel! Seems like everything bad happens in QLD when it comes to dogs, be it pet dogs or wild dogs!

[spottychick]

Not happy with the baiting issue. A painful and agonising death, unbelievably cruel!

I agree. There must be a better way for a civilised society to handle this problem. Are any animal welfare leagues/organisations objecting?

[Loving my Oldies]

Not happy with the baiting issue. A painful and agonising death, unbelievably cruel!

I agree. There must be a better way for a civilised society to handle this problem. Are any animal welfare leagues/organisations objecting?

The usual short sighted, bludgeon approach by people who haven't an innovative or new idea between them.

No animal deserves to die from these cruel procedures. And what about collateral kill?

If councils don't care enough to stop the killing of thousands of innocents lives, they are not going to care about "feral" animals.

[poodlefan]

What's the realistic alternative? Farmers shoot what they can but wild dogs can devastate a farmers livelihood not to mention inflict dreadful injuries on stock.

[Adnil444]

What's the realistic alternative? Farmers shoot what they can but wild dogs can devastate a farmers livelihood not to mention inflict dreadful injuries on stock.

Agree - I've seen the damage these wild dogs do and it is not a pretty sight, certainly not a nice way to die, in fact some of the stock they attack are badly maimed and are still alive - this is a farmers livelihood, they will shoot where they can, but don't get them all. They are a horrible problem - imagine if they got into an area where there was a child. While I don't like the idea of baiting (though I have rat bait under my house and I'm sure many of you do as well that are opposed to baiting), there isn't that many other ways of getting rid of these dogs. They are very skillful at being elusive! Trapping, getting professional shooters in, are possible other ways. Where we have our farm, they have used traps, the dogs learn very quickly to avoid them, while in the meantime will go through a flock of ewes with lambs and selectively kill and maim half the flock.

[GardenofEden]

What's the realistic alternative? Farmers shoot what they can but wild dogs can devastate a farmers livelihood not to mention inflict dreadful injuries on stock.

Agree - I've seen the damage these wild dogs do and it is not a pretty sight, certainly not a nice way to die, in fact some of the stock they attack are badly maimed and are still alive - this is a farmers livelihood, they will shoot where they can, but don't get them all. They are a horrible problem - imagine if they got into an area where there was a child. While I don't like the idea of baiting (though I have rat bait under my house and I'm sure many of you do as well that are opposed to baiting), there isn't that many other ways of getting rid of these dogs. They are very skillful at being elusive! Trapping, getting professional shooters in, are possible other ways. Where we have our farm, they have used traps, the dogs learn very quickly to avoid them, while in the meantime will go through a flock of ewes with lambs and selectively kill and maim half the flock.

Baiting is also risky to pet dogs! Not for it AT ALL! If the dogs are that elusive what makes you think they're going to attack a child? Besides which, you wouldn't leave a child on his own in such areas anyway, would you? there can be other risks for small children, like dams....from what I'm hearing there are far more deaths from children drowning in dams than being attacked by wild dogs...in fact, I cannot recall a child being attacked by wild dogs. I do stand corrected if I'm wrong...but whatever the case it is hardly a common occurrence.

Edited May 27, 2010 by GardenofEden

[Adnil444]

What's the realistic alternative? Farmers shoot what they can but wild dogs can devastate a farmers livelihood not to mention inflict dreadful injuries on stock.

Agree - I've seen the damage these wild dogs do and it is not a pretty sight, certainly not a nice way to die, in fact some of the stock they attack are badly maimed and are still alive - this is a farmers livelihood, they will shoot where they can, but don't get them all. They are a horrible problem - imagine if they got into an area where there was a child. While I don't like the idea of baiting (though I have rat bait under my house and I'm sure many of you do as well that are opposed to baiting), there isn't that many other ways of getting rid of these dogs. They are very skillful at being elusive! Trapping, getting professional shooters in, are possible other ways. Where we have our farm, they have used traps, the dogs learn very quickly to avoid them, while in the meantime will go through a flock of ewes with lambs and selectively kill and maim half the flock.

Baiting is also risky to pet dogs! Not for it AT ALL! If the dogs are that elusive what makes you think they're going to attack a child? Besides which, you wouldn't leave a child on his own in such areas anyway, would you? there can be other risks for small children, like dams....from what I'm hearing there are far more deaths from children drowning in dams than being attacked by wild dogs...in fact, I cannot recall a child being attacked by wild dogs. I do stand corrected if I'm wrong...but whatever the case it is hardly a common occurrence.

I didn't say it was a common occurrence, just stating what can and could happen. Yes dams are a big problem with children on farms however that is not the issue at hand. Pet dogs on farms are most times kept in a house yard and are in the home. Most farmers know the risks with their dogs and working dogs are either penned or chained up when not working, pet dogs are in the house yard. I know of several pet dogs that have gotten out and went into other properties only to be shot, this is the rule of the land. Farmers cannot afford to have their stock maimed and killed.

Until you see the carnage that these dogs do to innocent stock, then by all means offer up some other solution to the farmers, but in the meantime, there is no real alternative, so they will do what they have on hand. Just like the councils in most areas will bait for foxes, rabbits etc in parklands and I don't see too many people up in arms about that. The councils leave notes in the areas where there is bait and will usually advertise in the local paper advising when the baiting will occur. These are pests and cause a lot of damage and while I agree with you that baiting is not a nice way to go, I'm sure the ewes and lambs would also agree that having limbs ripped off, their stomachs ripped open, throats torn apart etc etc is not a nice way to go either.

[poodlefan]

Baiting is also risky to pet dogs! Not for it AT ALL!

And the realistic alternative is ???????

Anyone who allows their pet dog to roam on land knowing its baited (there are signs where 1080 is used) is a damn fool.

Ditto for anyone who allows pet dogs to roam in the country at all.

[mumof3]

What's the realistic alternative? Farmers shoot what they can but wild dogs can devastate a farmers livelihood not to mention inflict dreadful injuries on stock.

Agree - I've seen the damage these wild dogs do and it is not a pretty sight, certainly not a nice way to die, in fact some of the stock they attack are badly maimed and are still alive - this is a farmers livelihood, they will shoot where they can, but don't get them all. They are a horrible problem - imagine if they got into an area where there was a child. While I don't like the idea of baiting (though I have rat bait under my house and I'm sure many of you do as well that are opposed to baiting), there isn't that many other ways of getting rid of these dogs. They are very skillful at being elusive! Trapping, getting professional shooters in, are possible other ways. Where we have our farm, they have used traps, the dogs learn very quickly to avoid them, while in the meantime will go through a flock of ewes with lambs and selectively kill and maim half the flock.

Baiting is also risky to pet dogs! Not for it AT ALL! If the dogs are that elusive what makes you think they're going to attack a child? Besides which, you wouldn't leave a child on his own in such areas anyway, would you? there can be other risks for small children, like dams....from what I'm hearing there are far more deaths from children drowning in dams than being attacked by wild dogs...in fact, I cannot recall a child being attacked by wild dogs. I do stand corrected if I'm wrong...but whatever the case it is hardly a common occurrence.

I didn't say it was a common occurrence, just stating what can and could happen. Yes dams are a big problem with children on farms however that is not the issue at hand. Pet dogs on farms are most times kept in a house yard and are in the home. Most farmers know the risks with their dogs and working dogs are either penned or chained up when not working, pet dogs are in the house yard. I know of several pet dogs that have gotten out and went into other properties only to be shot, this is the rule of the land. Farmers cannot afford to have their stock maimed and killed.

Until you see the carnage that these dogs do to innocent stock, then by all means offer up some other solution to the farmers, but in the meantime, there is no real alternative, so they will do what they have on hand. Just like the councils in most areas will bait for foxes, rabbits etc in parklands and I don't see too many people up in arms about that. The councils leave notes in the areas where there is bait and will usually advertise in the local paper advising when the baiting will occur. These are pests and cause a lot of damage and while I agree with you that baiting is not a nice way to go, I'm sure the ewes and lambs would also agree that having limbs ripped off, their stomachs ripped open, throats torn apart etc etc is not a nice way to go either.

The threat wild dogs pose to children is real, and while it is remote, farmers must manage the threats to their stock and to their families.

Several years ago we were involved in the rescue of a two year old child who had wandered away from the farm house when his mother was asleep. The eight month pregnant mother had laid on the lounge to put her feet up for a few minutes and just clean fallen asleep. The child somehow managed to get the supposed secure house yard gate open and went for a walk with his pet cattle dog bitch, who was on heat. We were on the neighboroughing property (in an area where the properties were about 200,000 acres) and had a reputation as owning a good nose dog (used for pig hunting - this was in our youth). The SES had searched for the child for 8 hours, and lost him when his tracks left the dirt road about a kilometer from the house. We were asked to help and we arrived in the middle of the night. There was great concern for the child because the bitch was on heat and might actually attract a wild dog. The region has lots of wild dogs which regularly destroy stock, and make running sheep impossible as the losses are too high. Our nose dog led us in a line straight to the kid, naked and cold in the middle of the night in the scrub. I gave him my coat and carried him to the search party vehicles. Our dog was not trained to rescue people, and was only following the scent of the bitch (we think), but he became a hero that night and made the paper. It only took us about 20 minutes to locate the child.

We've had dingo's attack working dogs. I've seen a pack of wild dogs pull down an old dairy cow, and kill her calf and chew her anus out while she was alive. I've seen wild dogs kill for fun, just killing calves and not eating them. We see many calves with no ears or no tail. In large properties in particular, aerial baiting is used as the only effective way of controling dog pests over such a large area. Yes, working dogs get killed too, which is a terrible shame. A working dog is a valuable and important asset to the farmer, and often a mate too, and most would take precautions to protect them, but sometimes something just goes wrong.

Baiting is an unpleasant thing, but so are wild dogs. Biological controls have been used with other pests with disastrous results (remember the cane toad). Trapping can have some impact on smaller farms but is impractical over larger areas. Same goes for shooting (which can have it's own cruelty due to the fact that not every kill is a clean one). At least baiting works and saves the lives of thousands of livestock, killing the wild dog reasonably quickly (compared to lieing gut shot in the scrub), with minimal collateral kill (a few crows and working dogs). People really should walk a mile in the farmers shoes before dismissing them as dimwits.

Edited May 28, 2010 by mumof3

[Adnil444]

What's the realistic alternative? Farmers shoot what they can but wild dogs can devastate a farmers livelihood not to mention inflict dreadful injuries on stock.

Agree - I've seen the damage these wild dogs do and it is not a pretty sight, certainly not a nice way to die, in fact some of the stock they attack are badly maimed and are still alive - this is a farmers livelihood, they will shoot where they can, but don't get them all. They are a horrible problem - imagine if they got into an area where there was a child. While I don't like the idea of baiting (though I have rat bait under my house and I'm sure many of you do as well that are opposed to baiting), there isn't that many other ways of getting rid of these dogs. They are very skillful at being elusive! Trapping, getting professional shooters in, are possible other ways. Where we have our farm, they have used traps, the dogs learn very quickly to avoid them, while in the meantime will go through a flock of ewes with lambs and selectively kill and maim half the flock.

Baiting is also risky to pet dogs! Not for it AT ALL! If the dogs are that elusive what makes you think they're going to attack a child? Besides which, you wouldn't leave a child on his own in such areas anyway, would you? there can be other risks for small children, like dams....from what I'm hearing there are far more deaths from children drowning in dams than being attacked by wild dogs...in fact, I cannot recall a child being attacked by wild dogs. I do stand corrected if I'm wrong...but whatever the case it is hardly a common occurrence.

I didn't say it was a common occurrence, just stating what can and could happen. Yes dams are a big problem with children on farms however that is not the issue at hand. Pet dogs on farms are most times kept in a house yard and are in the home. Most farmers know the risks with their dogs and working dogs are either penned or chained up when not working, pet dogs are in the house yard. I know of several pet dogs that have gotten out and went into other properties only to be shot, this is the rule of the land. Farmers cannot afford to have their stock maimed and killed.

Until you see the carnage that these dogs do to innocent stock, then by all means offer up some other solution to the farmers, but in the meantime, there is no real alternative, so they will do what they have on hand. Just like the councils in most areas will bait for foxes, rabbits etc in parklands and I don't see too many people up in arms about that. The councils leave notes in the areas where there is bait and will usually advertise in the local paper advising when the baiting will occur. These are pests and cause a lot of damage and while I agree with you that baiting is not a nice way to go, I'm sure the ewes and lambs would also agree that having limbs ripped off, their stomachs ripped open, throats torn apart etc etc is not a nice way to go either.

The threat wild dogs pose to children is real, and while it is remote, farmers must manage the threats to their stock and to their families.

Several years ago we were involved in the rescue of a two year old child who had wandered away from the farm house when his mother was asleep. The eight month pregnant mother had laid on the lounge to put her feet up for a few minutes and just clean fallen asleep. The child somehow managed to get the supposed secure house yard gate open and went for a walk with his pet cattle dog bitch, who was on heat. We were on the neighboroughing property (in an area where the properties were about 200,000 acres) and had a reputation as owning a good nose dog (used for pig hunting - this was in our youth). The SES had searched for the child for 8 hours, and lost him when his tracks left the dirt road about a kilometer from the house. We were asked to help and we arrived in the middle of the night. There was great concern for the child because the bitch was on heat and might actually attract a wild dog. The region has lots of wild dogs which regularly destroy stock, and make running sheep impossible as the losses are too high. Our nose dog led us in a line straight to the kid, naked and cold in the middle of the night in the scrub. I gave him my coat and carried him to the search party vehicles. Our dog was not trained to rescue people, and was only following the scent of the bitch (we think), but he became a hero that night and made the paper. It only took us about 20 minutes to locate the child.

We've had dingo's attack working dogs. I've seen a pack of wild dogs pull down an old dairy cow, and kill her calf and chew her anus out while she was alive. I've seen wild dogs kill for fun, just killing calves and not eating them. We see many calves with no ears or no tail. In large properties in particular, aerial baiting is used as the only effective way of controling dog pests over such a large area. Yes, working dogs get killed too, which is a terrible shame. A working dog is a valuable and important asset to the farmer, and often a mate too, and most would take precautions to protect them, but sometimes something just goes wrong.

Baiting is an unpleasant thing, but so are wild dogs. Biological controls have been used with other pests with disastrous results (remember the cane toad). Trapping can have some impact on smaller farms but is impractical over larger areas. Same goes for shooting (which can have it's own cruelty due to the fact that not every kill is a clean one). At least baiting works and saves the lives of thousands of livestock, killing the wild dog reasonably quickly (compared to lieing gut shot in the scrub), with minimal collateral kill (a few crows and working dogs). People really should walk a mile in the farmers shoes before dismissing them as dimwits.

Here Here mumof3 - couldn't agree more. What an experience you went through, thank god the child was found alive and ok. Great work on behalf of your dog. This could have been a terrible tragedy.

[Crisovar]

We have been having a terrible few months with wild dogs, I don't think we have had a week go by that we haven't seen a family dog or several come in for treatment (often unsuccessfully) for horrific wounds after being attacked.

Livestock of course are copping a hammering, so baiting, as well as dog traps and shooters are all being used in an effort to cull them. Shooters cannot get into to the heavy scrubby areas, the dogs avoid the traps, baiting does work.

I hate 1080 with a passion it is a horrific way to die, but something has to be done, so far no one is coming up with a solution.