If you live in an area where you might encounter a large number of feral dogs, you may need to consider the use of an alert service, or even the use for which you have a pet.
The Australian Federal Government says feral dogs are “a major threat to human safety and the welfare of the community” and has created a range of alerts to help residents and businesses with the issues.
“The Federal Government has issued a range in the area of the alert service,” a spokesperson for the Department of Environment said.
“For example, we have issued an alert that allows a person to have a dog with a licence to be out in the community, and we have an alert where you can get a dog licence and live with it in the backyard.”
The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources said a “feral dog alert” can be used to help people avoid being bitten by feral dogs.
“We recommend that people who are in a location where feral dogs could be present be prepared to provide a face to face contact with a trained dog handler or to have their dog tested,” the spokesperson said.
Feral dog owners are being warned to “avoid contact with the animals” and avoid being in areas with an “aggressive or noisy” environment, which is “not conducive to the health and well-being of the dog”.
“These types of environments can be more likely to attract the attention of feral animals,” the Department said.
But a spokeswoman for the Dogs and Cats Welfare League said the issue of feral dog attacks was still a “major concern”.
“Feral dogs can be dangerous and, in some cases, even kill,” the spokeswoman said.
Topics:horticulture,dogs,human-interest,government-and-politics,wildlife,act,australiaFirst posted February 09, 2019 09:27:42Contact Greg WesselingMore stories from New South Wales
