Fury after Aussie MP kills dog in act of revenge: 'Despicable human'
The north Queensland MP has sparked intense debate after posting details about taking the life of the wild dog.
A One Nation MP has defended his decision to kill a "wild" dog which he said fatally mauled a "prized ram" on a local property, with the Queenslander fighting off criticism on social media from Aussies who branded him a "despicable human" in response to him sharing a confronting photo of the lifeless animal.
Steve Andrew, who represents the seat of Mirani in the state's north, said the "wild dog" attacked and killed the ram earlier this week, which its owner said was worth $25,000. Posting an image of the dead animal on his public Facebook page, Andrew wrote that "it was so good" the dog "came back for seconds" so that he could "meet his maker".
"This bloke mauled and killed a $25,000 ram trying to protect his herd .... They are getting more bolder [sic] and closer by the day."
Aussies divided over MP's boastful post
Wildlife advocates were quick to respond to the post, where the dog, which is dingo-like in appearance, is seen draped over the bonnet of Andrew's ute. Many argued the killing would have repercussions on the local food chain, while others said it would "actually increases the likelihood of stock losses".
"Despicable human.. what is wrong with you killing wildlife and doing so with no awareness of their value to our ecosystem," one woman wrote. "Most of all, these magnificent apex predators have been here for thousands of years — they are sentient beings."
While some defended the MP's killing of the animal, even applauding it, many others thought the online boast was irresponsible from the local politician.
"Sure, this dingo became a problem for you and you dealt with it. Sharing it in this way publicly will likely encourage others without deeper understanding to indiscriminately kill dingoes, which only further fuel the problem in the long term," a second person wrote. "It’s an irresponsible thing for a politician to do."
It's unclear from the photo alone whether the dog in question is a full-bred dingo, a protected species in certain parts of the country. There is no suggestion Andrew did anything unlawful.
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Dingos can legally be 'managed' in some parts of Queensland
In Queensland, under the Biosecurity Act 2014, landholders have a legal responsibility to control wild dogs (including dingoes) on their land. The Queensland government allows the "management" of wild dogs — which includes killing — in some protected areas under certain circumstances.
It's these laws that saw a number of people leap to the MP's defence.
"Well done, I applaud this when these animals come in and kill domestic animals, they’re now classed as FERAL!" a person wrote in Andrew's defence. "The carnage a dingo leaves attacking domestic animals is soul destroying and heartbreaking."
Andrew responded to the vast majority of commenters on his post personally, also telling 7News that he is a licensed pest controller.
The owner of the ram told the network the animal was her "prized" possession. "It was quite disturbing given he was our little prized ram," she said.
Why the words ‘wild dog’ matter
Stories of wild dogs roaming Australia have been proven to be largely untrue, thanks to years of DNA research. Thousands of dingoes are killed by government trapping, shooting and poisoning programs across Australia.
Governments use the term “wild dog” when they are killing them to protect sheep, and the word dingo when they’re conserving them in national parks. Dr Kylie Cairns and her team discovered that most of these animals are actually pure dingo, and only a small per cent had interbred with domestic dogs.
“This leads to confusion with the general public not understanding the animals that are being killed are dingoes. Quite often people will say dingoes and wild dogs… when they’re not two separate things,” she earlier told Yahoo News Australia.
“So making sure that our language is clear, means that people understand what management actions are being taken.”
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