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Help Northland farmers protect their animals from feral dogs

  • Public meeting and continued threat from dogs.

      8 August 2021

    The dogs are still there and there is still no management plan for how to control them. There was a public meeting on 28 July in Houhora, involving the district and regional councils, DOC, MPI, MPs and locals directly involved with the issue. We're hoping that this will lead to some action in getting a strategy for ongoing management in place.

    In the meantime the dogs are still around the farm, and calves and kid goats are particularly at risk.

    Neighbours have lost calves recently to the dogs, so it's nervous times. A lot of effort is going into keeping the animals away from the dogs, and using camera traps to understand the size of the packs and where they are.

    Thank you everyone for your great support so far. It will help in many ways, for example providing feed for animals so they can be kept off the high risk areas away from the dogs.

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    • 09/08/2021 by Megan

      Wishing you all strength to deal with this issue.

  • Still no progress

      16 July 2021

    A day and night vigil has kept the dogs off the stock the past few days. The wet weather means the farmers and volunteers are unable to get their gear dry in between shifts so everyone is cold and wet. Feed is running low as the stock are being kept close to the house to protect them.

    No government agency has taken any responsibility despite these dogs living on the DoC estate.

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  • No let up - the dogs keep coming back

      9 July 2021

    Thank you everyone for the amazing and generous response. The situation is still terrible, with the dogs coming to the farm every day. No more stock has been taken in the last four nights, but this is only due to the incredible work by Anne-Marie, John and an awesome team of local volunteers who have been guarding the animals continuously, during the day and at night with night vision scopes. Even then some lambs were pulled under the fence by the dogs during the day.

    This constant vigil is like a war situation and takes a huge toll on everyone involved and just isn't fair or sustainable. What's desperately needed is a proper management plan. As the dogs are coming from DOC administered land in Te Paki Reserve we are pushing DOC and the Minister for Conservation to take action.

    In the meantime the team will continue to guard the animals and the money raised is going to be so helpful, for example in providing feed and caring for the many orphaned lambs.

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    • 11/07/2021 by Megan

      Stay Strong and ask each other for support when you need some support.