Dogs on the Southern Ranges (in the SW WHA)

[Azza]

Well the key now is getting those HI-RES photo's to parks, its the only evidence available now to track them down.
Since they managed to sneak out of the park early.

Still must of been a hell mission - 16 days. They didn't look like they were carry that much food.
They registered 8 days in the book?

[sirius Tas]

If indeed they were mainland visitors...or should I say @#^&wits.....maybe they can be traced via the Spirit bookings. Re food....maybe the dogs were living off the land???...I know what my furry companion can eat...certainly as much as me. While on a camping trip to the Arthur I tried him on a cooked eel....the only food he's ever knocked back....as did I...just too oily...so can't blame him.

[stepbystep]

In regards to prosecution, other than the obvious WHA laws they are breaking, what about animal cruelty, If they did go out via PB-New River Lagoon....Unbelievable!
BTW, I would have been in their face with the camera, no subtlety required, they just might have turned around and headed out with tail between their walking poles.
Sic 'em Ollster

[ronin]

If indeed they were mainland visitors...or should I say @#^&wits.....maybe they can be traced via the Spirit bookings. Re food....maybe the dogs were living off the land???...I know what my furry companion can eat...certainly as much as me. While on a camping trip to the Arthur I tried him on a cooked eel....the only food he's ever knocked back....as did I...just too oily...so can't blame him.

That's a bit rough, not all mainland visitors are @#&witts just like not all tasmanian have two heads, but i share your frustration.

[sirius Tas]

That's a bit rough, not all mainland visitors are @#&witts just like not all tasmanian have two heads, but i share your frustration.

I was referring to this party only of course.

[ollster]

Sic 'em Ollster

If only parks had given me that deputy badge and helicopter gunship I asked for...

PS: In defence of sirius Tas, I did mention earlier that my evidence-based suspicion was that this group was from Vic.

[sirius Tas]

Ronin,
There was of cause another recent group of 3 which comes to mind.....so that's two groups that fit the bill.

[ollster]

There was of cause another recent group of 3 which comes to mind.....so that's two groups that fit the bill.

Oh no, not again!

[ronin]

Ronin,
There was of cause another recent group of 3 which comes to mind.....so that's two groups that fit the bill.

All's cool, my local beach (back in Vic) used to get trashed by outsiders and we always generalised and called them Melbo's (from Melb) but i'm sure it wasn't just people from Melbourne that were responsible.
I was told a long time ago that there's only 7 idiots in the world, they just get around a lot!
Maybe we're getting all 7 here in Tassie.

[stepbystep]

I was told a long time ago that there's only 7 idiots in the world, they just get around a lot!

[sirius Tas]

Definitely pass that one

"Oh no, not again! "........definitely wont be upsetting the 'Fairies" after the last round.

[msw]

I have just come back from the south coast track. On my first day at South Cape Rivulet they appeared off South Cape Range at 3.30pm on 8/1/10 and then continued towards Cockle Creek so they would have finished there on the evening of 8/1/10 or early 9/1/10.

I took a few photos of them but you can't see the people's faces due to their hats.

Regards
Matt.

Attachments

Dogs & owners - South Cape Rivulet 8/1/10

dogs_sc_rivulet.JPG (60.99 KiB) Viewed 6994 times

[ILUVSWTAS]

Must..... not.... comment..... must... control..... myself..........

[Azza]

Must..... not.... comment..... must... control..... myself..........

You know you want to.....

Thanks for the photo Matt.. Ollster are you going to pass it along to Parks?

[stu]

Nice work Matt, thanks for sharing your photo; as one of Ollsters group on the Southern Ranges I want to see justice served, tho it's probably unlikely.
I also agree with other comments about animal cruelty as a dog lover myself, the terrain they would have encountered is no place for little dogs even if they were not illegal in a WHA.
Its probably worth forwarding a copy of your photo on to ollster to be forawrded on to Parks as additional evidence, they may also want a basic statement from you?

[ollster]

I have just come back from the south coast track.

Good to see it wasn't just the heat causing us to hallucinate. Matt, I'll PM you contact details for the Parks officer I have been dealing with, once I get home.

Cheers, Oll.

[Azza]

Dogs are looking pretty lean, at least we know that both of them made it out...

[ILUVSWTAS]

Kind of a pity they didnt get so hungry they turned on the idiots walking them.

[ollster]

Kind of a pity they didnt get so hungry they turned on the idiots walking them.

Lucky for them they didn't bring cats. A cat would have eaten their eyes out rather than go without food.

[sirius Tas]

Maybe the pics should go to the RSPCA as well....animal cruelty for sure. I guess they've been made to carry their own tucker??? The thought of putting a pack on my old mate makes me sick/cringe.

[Drifting]

Lots of people hike with dogs in the US- while it is unquestionably wrong in Australia, it's not necessarily cruel to the dogs- dogs often really enjoy hiking, and the packs are designed to do not damage and be comfortable.

Having said that, those cattle dogs look a bit too thin, even for a cattle dog.

[Son of a Beach]

Lots of people hike with dogs in the US- while it is unquestionably wrong in Australia, it's not necessarily cruel to the dogs- dogs often really enjoy hiking, and the packs are designed to do not damage and be comfortable.

Having said that, those cattle dogs look a bit too thin, even for a cattle dog.

Yeah, lots of people hike with dogs in Australia too, and it's no problem in a lot of areas. I don't know about the cruelty question. It's fine to take dogs with you in many parts of Tasmania, but definitely not in National Parks. A lot of the central plateau is OK, as it is not all National Parks (some areas require a permit to take a dog in).

[sirius Tas]

I certainly don't have a problem hiking with dogs...as my furry mate has been with me to loads of mountains and long walks in general...but I certainly wouldn't put a pack on him....more so in that type of terrain. Dogs that do a lot of hard terrain eventually succumb to some type of hind leg problems....adding to their burden hardly seems fair and one that I certainly couldn't do.

[stepbystep]

They look like Kelpie X's (sheepdogs) that could almost certainly handle most of the terrain, I had one that regularly chased the cat onto the roof! 6' jumps no probs. She also used to ransack the rubbish bins in a 10sq km radius in The Darling Ranges - you just couldn't keep her in. Most Kelpie's have Dingo in their breeding making them amazingly resilient breeds for Aus conditions.
Carrying a pack for a week is another matter and being forced to paddle the New River Lagoon(with packs) IS cruel.
....and what about snakes
...and then above all the need to preserve the bio-diversity of wilderness area's.

Incredibly self-indulgent on the part of the owners.

[photohiker]

I agree that it is incredible that these people decided to take dogs into the area, and hopefully they will get chased down by the Parks.

As for cruelty, I sincerely doubt it. I know we get used to the look of dogs in our urban areas, but those dogs are lean, not underfed and too skinny. This is actually how they are supposed to be. Strange but true They could walk further and with less discomfort than their tool owners. The packs you will notice are perched over their forequarters, so no issues for their hips or back, and don't look to be loaded much either. It's fine for you to be queezy about putting a load on your dog - that doesn't mean the dog couldn't carry it, or that it would be cruel (if done sensibly, which these seem to be).

Michael

[ollster]

....and what about snakes

Incidentally, I saw zero snakes during the entire 7.5 day trip, and can't recall anyone else saying they had (apart from a few whipsnakes, which don't really count).

Now that I think about it... haven't seen any tiger snakes in the last 12 months (except for one up at Ben Lomond) and I've done about 45 days of walking in that period.

[stu]

For those of you that have been through the Southern Ranges you will know what we are referring to when questioning the cruelty to the little dogs;
Kameruka Morraine (a long section of very large boulders covered in scrub), ascent of PB (cliffy sections), descent off PB (cliffy sections / boulders / limestone sink holes), 6-7km knee deep wade IN New River Lagoon, the hours of tree routes & mud holes over the South Cape Range (warranted this last one probably alot easier for them, the dogs that is). Add to this the 2 35+ degree days we had with very little water & you migh get some idea (dogs presumably dehydrate a lot quicker than humans). I think the owners continualy having to lift & lower them &/or carry them through sections of cliffs / massive boulders would have quickly thought twice about their actions.

Yes, it's great walking with dogs, I have done it many times myself, outside of National Parks of course.
But to force 2 little dogs to have to walk /climb for 10 days in difficult terrain is bordering on cruelty IMHO.
I could imagine the response from rescue services if they had to chopper them out due to a doggy sprain or break!

[Azza]

....and what about snakes

Incidentally, I saw zero snakes during the entire 7.5 day trip, and can't recall anyone else saying they had (apart from a few whipsnakes, which don't really count).

Now that I think about it... haven't seen any tiger snakes in the last 12 months (except for one up at Ben Lomond) and I've done about 45 days of walking in that period.

Olle - I saw a reasonably sized tiger snake on the south coast range, about an hour after we had lunch. You were probably a few minutes behind me at that stage. I didn't wait around to tell you.. probably because the sound you make when you see a snake scares me just as much as almost stepping on one..

[stepbystep]

RSPCA is a toothless tiger anyway, seriously doubt they would do anything. They have done ZERO about far worse cases that I am aware of, to the point where liberation missions have been required
The dogs probably had a ball, they get off on pleasing parents.

Ollster, you've been lucky. In my last 6 walks, I've seen 3 tigers - 1 in the vale of Rasselas and 2 on Mt Direction. Mark saw a biggy at The Thumbs also. Dogs like to chase slithery things.
I take my dogs into The Government Hills/Bedlam Walls in winter but can't do it this time of year for fear of a bite(and the vet bill).

[tomberli]

Just to throw in my 0.02 $ worth... About two or three weeks ago, the first (to my knowledge) blind person walked the Overland track. Guided with CradleHuts and he also brought a guide dog. Apparently the dog was no trouble at all and very well behaved - admittedly Overland track and the scrub to Kameruka moraine are two different pairs of shoes and the dog didn't have to carry anything either. He did have his own personalised doggie-waterbottle though.