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Your weekly community newspaper covering Mornington, Mount Martha and Mount Eliza For all advertising and editorial needs, call 03
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Tuesday 10 April 2018
5973 6424 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au
Call for seal safety on the beach Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au THERE is no doubting the attraction of a seal resting or sunning itself on beaches around the Mornington Peninsula. But the animals are unaware of the excitement and interest they cause and can suffer as a result. Wildlife activists are calling for fresh protocols to manage and protect the seals whenever they are spotted. They say laws aimed at protecting seals are clear but rarely enforced. Harming a seal can attract a $6000 fine or six months’ jail and there are limits to how close people, or dogs are allowed. It is illegal to touch or feed a seal. “Over the past two years seals resting on peninsula beaches have endured crowds of onlookers, dog attacks, jet ski harassment, drunken people riding on them, objects thrown at them, kicked, yelled at, poked and chased back into the water,” Australian Wildlife Protection Council president Craig Thomson said.
ganise a meeting “of all stakeholders … have fallen on deaf ears”. Mr Thomson and the wildlife protection council’s secretary Eve Kelly last week sent out a detailed account of what happened to some of the 171 volunteer alerts for seals from Edithvale to Portsea between December 2016 and March 2018.
“The peninsula community and local wildlife groups are very concerned that if the seals are not protected and a seal acts to protect itself, it may be seen as a risk to public safety and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) may see fit to destroy the animal.” Mr Thomson said “pleas for help” from government authorities to or-
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Digital illustration by Yanni
Shire in hunt for attack dogs
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A post on social media told a harrowing tale of “Alfie” and a new puppy “Charlie” being taken for a walk in the off-leash area when the larger dogs attacked. “The dogs turned around and mauled my dog Alfie and ripped pieces out from his behind and had him pinned and screaming of the ground,” the distraught owner posted. “I screamed at [the owner of the attacking dogs] and one of the dogs tried
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to come at me and bite me too, but I kicked it and screamed in self defence and it ran away. “The girl knew her dogs were feral from the beginning because she was panicked and was screaming for them to come back to her when she saw her dogs running towards us. Why would someone who knows their dogs are feral let them off a leash with no muzzle in a leash-free dog park?” Alfie was taken for treatment to
the animal emergency hospital in Frankston. The shire’s environment protection manager John Rankine described the situation as “distressing for all parties involved”. “Dog attacks are our highest priority and it is important that we identify the owner of the dogs as soon as possible,” he said. “We are searching our database for dogs of similar appearance … and are calling on community mem-
bers to assist if they can.” The shire has adopted a Domestic Animal Management Plan for the next four years. “Council encourages and promotes responsible pet ownership that fosters a greater harmony and coexistence between pet owners and non-pet owners.” Anyone who saw the dogs in the area or knows where they can be found is asked to call 1300 850 600. Keith Platt
I N S P I R AT I O N
RRP $7.95 (incl GST)
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is seeking information on two dogs involved in an attack at the Balcombe Creek walking track, near the Century Drive leash free area, about 1pm, Monday 2 April. The dogs are described as a large male, black and tan, possibly a Rottweiler, and a Staffordshire terrier-cross. The owner of the dogs is described as a woman in her 30s driving a dark coloured VW Golf or similar vehicle.
2018
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