THE number of wild dogs killed by Victoria’s dogmen has dropped dramatically.
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There were only 179 dogs trapped or shot by the dogmen last year, compared with 242 in 2013.
There has been a large decline over the past five years.
Farmers attribute this to unrealistic restrictions on the dogmen and the failure by the government to replace those who have left the job.
Statistics that go back to 1998 show 337 dog were killed that year.
The dogmen’s most successful year was 2008, when they killed 612 dogs.
But it has been all downhill since then, with 433 killed in 2010, 309 in 2011 and 268 in 2012.
Burrowye farmer Neil Mitchell blames the trend on the dogman having to deal with unnecessary paperwork and criteria.
He sent an open letter to Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh in 2013.
“The dogmen are so stretched with restrictions and meetings they cannot possibly get around their traps and help everyone,” Mr Mitchell said.
“The more you go around the traps, the less chance you have of catching a dog.
“We have cameras in the bush to prove this.
“You have your dogman checking his traps every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“If he cannot, your department makes him cover them.”
Mr Mitchell rang Mr Walsh’s office seeking to have a frank discussion about the dog problem and the increasing hurdles faced by the dogmen.
But Mr Walsh never responded to Mr Mitchell’s call.
Mr Walsh made a commitment in October 2012 at a public forum at Tallangatta to discuss the dog problem and that a full complement of dogmen would be employed.
At the time, the depart- ment was three dogmen short, but Mr Walsh promised to find replacements once a review of the state’s Department of Primary Industries was completed.
But the Victorian Farmers Federation branch president at Tallangatta, Stuart Morant, said in March the following year that it was a “Clayton’s promise” by Mr Walsh and his government.
The other yearly figures for dogs killed are:
- 1998 (337)
- 1999 (335)
- 2000 (420)
- 2001 (457)
- 2002 (496)
- 2003 (501)
- 2004 (510)
- 2005 (482)
- 2006 (389)
- 2007 (455)
- 2008 (612)
- 2009 (507)