Alison Drover is concerned about what she calls ‘the current canine explosion’ and its effect on the natural environment.
Of course responsible dog owners should comply with existing regulations and keep their pets out of national parks and other protected areas. However, I’m surprised she didn’t mention the far greater harm domestic and feral cats wreak on the environment, killing millions of native animals every week. Cat owners are not legally liable for any wildlife destruction their free-roaming moggies may cause. Council offers ‘tips for keeping your cat happy and healthy’, which include the completely unenforceable ‘do not allow your cat to roam’.
Gradually though, councils in Australia that genuinely care about the environment are introducing 24-hour cat curfews in recognition of the devastating impact they have on wildlife and the contribution cats have made to Australian mammal extinctions.
By all means let’s keep dogs under control and out of environmentally sensitive areas, but the greater and more urgent focus needs to be on cats.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
