Wild dog legislation

The wild dog is a restricted invasive animal under the Biosecurity Act 2014. The dingo is defined as both 'wildlife' and 'native wildlife' under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means:

• Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, landholders have a legal responsibility to control wild dogs (including dingoes) on their land. Wild dogs cannot be moved, kept, (if a dingo), fed, given away, sold, or released into the environment without a permit.
• Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, the dingo is protected within protected areas (e.g. national parks). Protected areas have their own management principles, which help to conserve their natural resources and natural condition; however, the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation's good neighbour policy allows for the management of wild dogs in protected areas in certain circumstances.

Local government area biosecurity plans

Every local government in Queensland is required to develop a community biosecurity management plan for their area. This plan specifies the priority and actions for each stakeholder in the local area with regard to invasive plants and animals.

Many plans have wild dogs as a high priority and require landholders to take reasonable steps to minimise the impacts of wild dogs. Landholders are encouraged to work with their neighbours in coordinated control programs.

Read more about local government area biosecurity plans.

Other laws related to wild dog control

The following laws also relate to the control of pest animals in Queensland:

• Animal Care and Protection Act 2001
• Medicines and Poisons Act 2019
• Weapons Act 1990.

You will need to see how each applies to your individual situation. Your local council can give you advice on the control methods most suitable for your area, the conditions you may need to comply with, and what permissions you may require.

Search the local government directory to find contact details for your local council.

Also consider...

• Read the Wild Dog Management Strategy 2021–26.
• Participate in national pest animal mapping by reporting wild dog populations on the FeralScan website.
• Learn more about the Queensland Dog Offensive Group (QDOG) that provides advice to the Queensland Government, local governments and industry on the strategic direction of wild dog management in Queensland.

Effective wild dog control is based on an understanding of wild dog behaviour, social structure, habitats and food preferences.

Your choice will also be influenced by:

• public safety
• occupational health and safety issues
• animal welfare concerns
• impacts on non-target species
• restrictions (legislative and practical) on applying some techniques (e.g. use of 1080).

Effective control requires an assessment of each individual situation and the circumstances surrounding each problem. As with most pest problems, no single 'quick and easy' method will solve all problems. Best results usually involve a combination of different control methods.

Controlling wild dogs also requires coordination, cooperation and planning. Taking a community approach is the best way to provide a long-term solution to wild dog problems.

Also consider...

• Download a wild dog control decision support table and read more about coordinated wild dog control.

Poison baits are one of the tools available to control wild dogs that are causing impacts on livestock. A baiting program can be undertaken in conjunction with other forms of control such as trapping, shooting and exclusion fencing.

Baiting provides a flexible approach to wild dog control, depending on the location of the control activity.

Baiting should not be considered in areas where there are working dogs, pets and guardian animals that may be impacted by the baiting program.

Types of poison

There are 2 poisons legally used for wild dog control:

• 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate)
• PAPP (para-aminopropiophenone).

These poisons are restricted chemical products also known as S7 poisons:

• The possession, supply, storage and disposal of S7 poisons is regulated under the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 and associated regulations and other Queensland Health regulations.
• The use of S7 poisons in relation to label or permit instructions is regulated under the Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988 and its associated regulations.

How to obtain 1080 or PAPP

Commercial manufactured 1080 or PAPP baits may be purchased from licenced S7 retailers subject to the buyer fulfilling the requirements of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019.

Some local governments provide a 1080 baiting service for landholders in their area.

Search the local government directory to find contact details for your local council.

Where and when to place baits

Baits must always be used in accordance with the product label directions or the conditions of an Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) minor use permit and the requirements of the Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 and Queensland Health departmental standards.

The phase of the breeding cycle could also influence the likelihood of wild dogs coming into contact with baits and should be considered. Many land managers participate in 2 coordinated baiting programs per year—targeting adults during breeding (April or May) and then targeting pups and juveniles (August or September). Additional baiting during the summer months to target young dogs may be effective.

Coordinating control programs

To increase the effectiveness of wild dog control, it is best practice to coordinate control with neighbouring properties to ensure that all the wild dogs in an area are exposed to the control measures.

To control wild dogs, baiting should be part of an integrated approach that uses a variety of control methods across a calendar year.

Also consider...

• Read more about wild dogs.

Trapping is time-consuming and labour-intensive, but can be effective when used with other control methods. Trapping is mostly used in areas with low populations and to control 'problem' wild dogs.

The success of trapping (using foot-hold traps) depends on the skill of the operator.

Tips for trapping wild dogs

Lures for wild dog traps

• A mixture of dog faeces and urine is a popular lure.
• Attractiveness of lures varies with seasons and locations. No single lure has yet been found that is consistently attractive to wild dogs.

Where to set wild dog traps

• Traps are best placed along known wild dog 'pads' or activity areas (e.g. fence lines, roads, gullies, creek lines, ridge tops and tracks parallel to cattle/sheep tracks). Here the wild dog is most likely to find and investigate the decoy/odour.
• Wild dog scent posts can be found by walking with a domestic dog on a lead along a known pad. Carefully observing the dog's behaviour as it approaches the scent post will help you decide where to place traps. Factors to consider are
• • the position on any bushes the domestic dog smells
  • placement of feet while urinating/defecating
  • how it approaches and where it scratches in relation to the pad and scent post
  • wind direction (important to wild dogs advertising their scent stations).
• Using tracks that lead to known water sources is more effective, but avoid setting traps too close to waterholes.

When to set wild dog traps

• Traps should be set at the end of each day and checked each morning. Trap alert systems allow you to respond quickly to a capture (use if possible).

Proper use of wild dog traps

• Use foot-hold traps to maximise efficiency and minimise injury.
• Ideally, foot-hold traps should include padded, laminated or rubber jaws, but offset metal jaws are acceptable.
• Match trap size to foot size. The use of the correct size trap also reduces the chance of catching non-target species.
• The Collarum™ neck restraint is acceptable. The Collarum™ is essentially a cable loop, which is thrown over the head and around the neck of the dog by a spring when set off by a trigger. The end of the loop, which is anchored to the ground when the trap is set, enables the wild dog to be held as if on a leash.

How to deal with captured animals

• Approach traps carefully and quietly to avoid any extra stress on captured wild dogs.
• Destroy wild dogs quickly. Shooting is the most humane method of destruction. (Note: shooters should be skilled and licenced.)

Also consider...

• Download a wild dog control planning calendar.

A properly maintained fence can reduce livestock predation and restrict movement back into an area where wild dogs have been controlled. Exclusion fencing also creates a line in the landscape where you can apply other control methods to limit wild dog activity. Using foot-hold traps and poison (1080) along fence lines adds an extra line of defence.

Types of exclusion fences

Two types of fences are used to exclude wild dogs:

• electric fences
• netting fences.

Electrifying a fence creates a fear of the fence itself and deters wild dogs from approaching - therefore limiting impacts on livestock.

Netting fences are used in place of conventional livestock fences to stop wild dogs entering pastures. The integrity of the fence is vital. Checking the fence regularly will ensure any breaches or holes can be fixed quickly.

You must keep fences well maintained and use other control measures to remove any intruding wild dogs.

Fencing suitable to exclude wild dogs can be expensive to build and requires continual maintenance to repair damage caused by fallen timber, floods and animals.

Also consider...

• Read more about Queensland's pest barrier fence systems.
• Read more about netting to control wild dogs and electric fencing to control wild dogs.

Shooting can be a humane method of destroying wild dogs when it is carried out by experienced, skilled and responsible shooters.

Shooting is an opportunistic control method, mostly used for small populations or individual problem animals.

Humane shooting

For humane killing, target the animal's brain or the heart.

The 3 shooting methods recommended for destroying the brain are:

• frontal method - aim horizontally at the point of intersection of lines taken from the base of each ear to the opposite eye.
• temporal method - aim horizontally from the side of the head at the point midway between the eye and the base of the ear
• poll method - aim behind the head at a point midway along a line drawn from the base of each ear.

For heart shots, aim at the forward chest, above the point of the elbow.

The law on shooting wild dogs worrying livestock

While you can legally shoot a wild dog, you cannot shoot a roaming domestic dog unless you meet the following requirements:

• You have the necessary firearms licence and use the firearm according to state firearms laws.
• You reasonably believe the dog is attacking, or is likely to attack, your livestock and is not under someone's control.
• You live on land that is subject to a rural fire levy.
• You comply with other laws such as the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.

Landholders can use private contractors to shoot wild dogs, providing they have the appropriate licences and follow legal conditions for use of weapons.

Firearms licensing

It is mandatory in Queensland for all users of weapons to hold a current firearms licence. In general terms, a weapon includes a gun or other thing ordinarily described as a firearm in the Weapons Act 1990.

Queensland Police Weapons Licensing can advise on licence types and conditions.

Livestock guardian animals are used around the world to help protect livestock from predators such as wild dogs and foxes. There are many factors to consider when using livestock guardian animals for livestock protection.

Types of livestock guardian animals

• Dogs (such as Maremma Sheepdogs, Anatolian Shepherds and Great Pyrenees are popular choices)
• Donkeys
• Alpacas and llamas

What they protect

Livestock guardian animals protect:

• sheep
• goats
• poultry
• other livestock.

More information

• Guardian animals for livestock protection and wild dog exclusion—PestSmart
• Research into the use of livestock guardian animals to protect sheep in Queensland—ResearchGate
• Guard animals for livestock protection: existing and potential use in Australia—Department of Primary Industries (NSW)