Camp Dogs

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/increasing-numbers-of-camp-dogs-raise-fears-of-further-attacks/6487536

Increase in roaming camp dogs raises fears of further attacks

By Lucy Martin

Posted 36 minutes ago

Cedric Tait

PHOTO: Djraindjin man Cedric Tait takes good care of his family's pets. (ABC News: Lucy Martin)

RELATED STORY: Dogs put down after suspected attack on WA teenager

MAP: Fitzroy Crossing 6765

The neglect and rapid breeding of some dogs in remote communities in Western Australia is creating the perfect storm for attacks, experts have warned.

The death of a woman in Fitzroy Crossing earlier this year has thrown a spotlight on the issue.

Although it varies, camp dogs are generally allowed to roam the streets and they rarely have collars.

The local vet is often hundreds of kilometres away and it is difficult and expensive to get animals de-sexed, so they breed in large numbers.

Some are well looked after, but others are infested with parasites and malnourished.

Wendy Roberts from Broome-based organisation Saving Animals from Euthanasia (SAFE) said the dogs could also be very aggressive.

"A dog is a pack animal and it's got the ability to hunt and kill," she said.

"The way that the dog is brought up and the behaviours it learns are what makes a dog who it is.

"Up here, a lot of the dogs have just got to survive. If they're not wiped out by worms, ticks or parvo they might get torn apart from a dog attack.

"If they do make it to adulthood, they're protecting their status the whole time."

In March an 18-year-old woman was mauled to death by a pack of dogs at a community on the outskirts of Fitzroy Crossing.

Three weeks later, a man had part of his leg bitten off during an attack involving three dogs in the town of Halls Creek.

Djarindjin woman Yvonne Sampi said a young relative of hers was recently attacked on the Dampier Peninsula.

"I've got a six-year-old nephew that got bitten by a big dog at One Arm Point," she said.

"It was very serious, he had to have stitches.

"I am worried about children being bitten by dogs. There should be something done about cheeky dogs around here."

Aggressive dogs need de-sexing, team says

The Broome-based Nirrimbuk Aboriginal Corporation is funded by WA Health to visit Dampier Peninsula communities four times a year to treat animals for parasites, administer short-term contraceptives and put sick dogs down.

The team, led by Chicky Clements, also steps in when residents complain about aggressive dogs but the politics of small communities can make that difficult.

Dogs in remote communities are often free to roam

PHOTO: Dogs in remote communities are often free to roam. (ABC News: Lucy Martin)

"Usually they'll ring up our mob and say we've got a dog that needs to be put down," he said.

"But then there's a lot of problems and politics, like who does the dog belong to?"

Until recently, the Nirrimbuk team also got funding from the Commonwealth to de-sex animals in remote communities.

"When we first started, it was nothing to put 30 dogs down when we did our three monthly trips and a lot of that was made up of puppies," Mr Clements said.

"Today, we're going out and putting no dogs down or maybe three or four."

But the Commonwealth funding has not been renewed and dog numbers are building again.

WA Health Department's Matt Lester said authorities were working to come up with a solution.

"We've approached Murdoch University with a view to getting some final year [vet] students to come and do surgical de-sexing," he said.

"It would give them an experience of working outside of Perth and also be fantastic for the community and our program in effectively controlling numbers."

Dog attacks occurring weekly in tourist town

There is also a problem in Broome where the tourist season is at its height.

Anika Wiggan said a pack of 20 dogs lives at the back of the town's Kennedy Hill community.

"They very aggressive 'cos when one attacks they all attack," she said.

"They attack, they bite, they've bitten a lot of people already.

"There's a playground down there but we don't send our kids because we're scared one day they'll gang up and attack, it's very dangerous.

"You cannot even walk past sometimes, you gotta walk past with a weapon to protect yourself."

I can't turn a blind eye to the fact these pups need worming, they need tick treatments, they just need basic care and the people just need basic instruction.

Wendy Roberts

Broome Shire's ranger manager Ewen Ross said they receive five complaints about dog attacks every week.

Mr Ross said his team was cracking down on irresponsible pet owners.

"If you've got an unregistered dog you're really dealing with a ghost," he said.

"There's no collar, no ID, no microchip so the moment we pick up an unregistered dog, it's basically ours.

"Council is not a pet service, we're an enforcement agency, so picking up dogs, taking them to the pound, picking up dogs, taking them back to the pound — it's just not effective."

The dogs are either sent to local volunteer group SAFE for re-homing or put down.

Volunteer Wendy Roberts said the Animal Welfare League of Australia has donated money for the group to provide free dog de-sexing in Broome.

She said the group needed long-term funding.

"Dogs numbers need to be reduced now, yesterday, last year," she said.

"Until we can actually de-sex enough animals to have a significant difference, you'll always have the risk of animals being a risk to humans and other animals."

Ms Roberts was also concerned about the welfare of many dogs she treats.

"I can't turn a blind eye to the fact these pups need worming, they need tick treatments, they just need basic care and the people just need basic instruction," she said.

"A lot of people don't touch their dogs, except when they're kicking it out of the way."

Ms Roberts believed most people were willing to look after their dogs, with the right support and education.

"These dogs love their humans and these humans love their dogs," she said.

"They just need to do it in a way that's acceptable."

Topics: indigenous-culture, animal-attacks, fitzroy-crossing-6765, broome-6725

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