Australian Woman Charged With Illegal Export Of Dingoes

[j]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/aussie-lyn-watson-accused-of-dodgy-dingo-smuggling-ring/story-e6frezi0-1226633440116

Aussie Lyn Watson accused of dodgy dingo smuggling ring by: Peter Bodkin From: The Daily Telegraph May 02, 2013 12:00AM Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrintEmail Share

A SELF-STYLED saviour of Australia's native dingoes smuggled six pups into the US disguised as look-alike Japanese pooches, a court has been told.

Lyn Watson, who runs the Victoria-based Australian Dingo Foundation, is facing up to two years in jail after she was charged with illegally shipping the native species overseas.

A court was told a key issue remained whether the pups were pure-blood dingoes - a protected animal - or if years of inter-breeding had rendered the exported canines common dogs.

In January, 2010, Ms Watson and her foundation allegedly shipped the animals from NSW to a kids' zoo in the US state of Indiana and two private buyers with their papers mislabelled "shiba inu" - a Japanese dog whose pups look similar to dingoes.

Mike Hyams, who had two of the pups shipped to his Florida home, said he made a $2000 "donation" to the foundation through the transport company for a dingo pair.

But when the animals arrived they came with little paperwork, which was "unusual" from his experience importing native birds.

Instead they came with only a health card listing the Japanese breed, he said.

A "heated" email exchange between Mr Hyams and Ms Watson followed, during which she assured him he had dingoes, the court heard.

In a message before the shipment she wrote she was also in the process of "wading through the drawn-out red tape" to export dingoes to US animal parks.

Dimitrije Nikic, a former volunteer at Ms Watson's Dingo Discovery and Research Centre, said he was initially asked to put his name on papers sent with the pups to the US because that would make the transfer "easier". He claimed Ms Watson later said: "I wrote down the pups were shiba inus on the paperwork just to be safe."

None of the pups had been DNA tested to prove they were dingoes, but one of their parents' had been positively identified as the native dog, the court heard.

Narelle Hammond, whose Sydney-based company Kenardobe, trading as Animal Travel, sent the pups, was also charged. Both she and Ms Watson have pleaded not guilty to exporting a protected native species.

The hearing continues.

[Weasels]

Oops!

Surely she should know better, she's been in the dingo game for a while now...

[BlackJaq]

Wow funny how they are a native protected species one day and a pest free to be culled to help out farmers the next... Maybe they should make up their mind one way or another.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I disagree with exporting any wild animals personally.

[DesertDobes]

Exactly, why does it matter if they get exported? For every puppy they export there are at least another 1000 that are baited...

[alpha bet]

The only way to have the dingo saved long term is to have them classified as Native Animal - in which case it comes under the same rules as all other native animals.

She has tried to defraud, not only the customs department, but to some extent the purchaser at the other end. If the dogs are going to a licensed zoo there is protocol in place to send the pups legitimately as zoos all over the world run 'stud books' to preserve different species. We all know she did not call them shibu inu by mistake, she did it to defraud customs... She stated they were going to a childrens zoo - what bullshit - more likely a private company and likely to be a front for a puppy mill.

If she was legit she would have had the dogs blood tested and classified and then gone thru proper channels. Dingos are bred and cross bred in the states and sold as pets - they love the novelty aspect of a dingo.

[Weasels]

The only way to have the dingo saved long term is to have them classified as Native Animal - in which case it comes under the same rules as all other native animals.

I don't think even that will help - by far the biggest threat to dingoes is being bred out with domestic dogs. That will drive them extinct far sooner than any culling effort.

[cannibalgoldfish]

The only way to have the dingo saved long term is to have them classified as Native Animal - in which case it comes under the same rules as all other native animals.

But they aren't a native animal, they are an introduced species. But, what if they were classified as a national monument or national dog of Australia? (Like shibas are in Japan, ironically) They could then have protection as a breed but wouldn't annoy those who disagree on the non native part? Actually, the more I think of it, the better that sounds

I don't think even that will help - by far the biggest threat to dingoes is being bred out with domestic dogs. That will drive them extinct far sooner than any culling effort.

That was the same problem with the Japanese native dog breeds and they were saved by doing the above. Edited May 2, 2013 by cannibalgoldfish

[Weasels]

I guess then the question becomes: if they become a domestic breed, are they still a 'dingo'?

Do we want them only in captivity, or out in the wild too where we can't protect them but also won't alter them?

[cannibalgoldfish]

I guess then the question becomes: if they become a domestic breed, are they still a 'dingo'?

Do we want them only in captivity, or out in the wild too where we can't protect them but also won't alter them?

Depends on how much people want a dingo to remain a pure breed I guess. Captivity would domesticate them, but if it means people will preserve the breed when letting live in the wild and slowly interbreed themselves with dogs until we loose it as a breed altogether? I think the only alteration would be them becoming better pets but it may be the only way to save them?

Besides, who ever said shibas were domesticated? :laugh:

[GeckoTree]

I don't know why she didnt just do things correctly this time around , she sent a pair to NY Zoo in 2009 and all was fine with the export.

[Clyde]

Narelle Hammond, whose Sydney-based company Kenardobe, trading as Animal Travel, sent the pups, was also charged. Both she and Ms Watson have pleaded not guilty to exporting a protected native species.

The hearing continues.

Not the first time this mob have done the wrong thing

http://woofmag.in/articles2.asp?cat=350

[j]

Narelle Hammond, whose Sydney-based company Kenardobe, trading as Animal Travel, sent the pups, was also charged. Both she and Ms Watson have pleaded not guilty to exporting a protected native species.

The hearing continues.

Not the first time this mob have done the wrong thing

http://woofmag.in/articles2.asp?cat=350

Wow, that's a terribly sad story.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Disgraceful excuses for human beings.

[nowstarin]

After reading that terribly sad story 2 questions arise 1. Why decide to relocate or fly a brachy breed in summer and 2 . I can't see where animal travel have erred?

If anyone has exported dogs, lodgement to the airline cargo customs for exports means loading hours before departure and signing the dog over to flight handlers. From that point animal travel would have had no responsibility for poor dog. From that point I would imagine he was, as the writer stated "left in a hot shed" . I cannot see any negligence on animal travels part here and offer ken my compassion here. No handler no owner and no dog lover should have to have endured this heart wrenching event. And certainly the poor little Frenchmen did not deserve this whatsoever. Once handed over they are quarantined and no access is granted to anyone other than the cargo handler that puts them on the plane. Cargo handlers have no animal husbandry experience and are merely unwilling observers of this ridiculous non caring procedure. Loads of negligence but none I BELEIVE due to animal travel for having not been anything other than fulfilling their claims the writer stated in his opening. RIP puppy power

[kelpiecuddles]

As a third oddity to that story they planned to take him overseas for a few months so they wouldn't have to be seperated from him but surely his stint overseas would necessitate a period of quarantine on the return trip that would have resulted in them being seperated anyway? At any rate i agree that this is the fault of the customs people. A very sad outcome for that little fella.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

As a third oddity to that story they planned to take him overseas for a few months so they wouldn't have to be seperated from him but surely his stint overseas would necessitate a period of quarantine on the return trip that would have resulted in them being seperated anyway? At any rate i agree that this is the fault of the customs people. A very sad outcome for that little fella.

Err, what possible role would Customs play here? It was an export, and even with imports they don't unnecessarily delay animal cargo clearance for this sort of reason.

MASKargo has airconditioned premises in KL where a lot of the dogs transit. Don't know why they don't in Sydney.

[Diva]

As a third oddity to that story they planned to take him overseas for a few months so they wouldn't have to be seperated from him but surely his stint overseas would necessitate a period of quarantine on the return trip that would have resulted in them being seperated anyway? At any rate i agree that this is the fault of the customs people. A very sad outcome for that little fella.

Err, what possible role would Customs play here? It was an export, and even with imports they don't unnecessarily delay animal cargo clearance for this sort of reason.

MASKargo has airconditioned premises in KL where a lot of the dogs transit. Don't know why they don't in Sydney.

The customs reference threw me too, why on earth are they considered responsible?

Holding areas for animals at airports should be airconditioned in our climate. Amongst all the ill-designed regulations they want to bring in for dog breeders maybe that pretty basic one could be considered for transport companies and airports.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Diva

[kelpiecuddles]

I'm refering to the fact that in the second story they stated they were going overseas for six months only. Doesn't excuse what happened at all, it just seems odd to be to not be willing to leave the dog in the care of the breeder or a friend but they were ok with him spending time in quarantine when they came back in to the country

Edited May 9, 2013 by kelpiecuddles

[Steph M]

I can't say I blame the owners, it's a horrible situation and as far as I am concerned the transport company should not have taken on the carriage of a pup they couldn't manage. They should have had the knowledge he was brachycephalic and acted accordingly, they're the professionals and they know how the system works in regard to the cargo handlers etc. For any critter to be found stiff, covered in poo and vomit means they were not checking him enough or adequately. If they didn't feel they could take the job on, they shouldn't have.

I know there's only one side to the story here and it derails the thread a little, but I can not for the life of me see how blaming the owner is fair.

Poor guys, the owners and the dog. What an awful way to go and an awful way to find him. If nothing else the way it was handled sounds messy and awful.

As far as I can tell the owners thought they were doing the right thing, had the vet checks, forked out a fair bit of money to someone they trusted, who took on the duty of care and failed to follow through.

Horrible situation for everyone.