Northern Beaches residents, concerned about the protected birds in Careel Bay, are calling for increased enforcement in the area following a dog attack that killed a juvenile pelican.
Careel Bay is a bird sanctuary for over a hundred local and migratory bird species, including the endangered Bush Stone-Curlew, the Mangrove Gerygone, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, and Bar-tailed Godwit. In Careel Bay, there is also an off-leash facility where dogs can run around, play and get their needed exercise.
So that both birds and dogs can co-exist, the Northern Beaches Council has placed signs all over Careel Bay directing owners to keep their pets on leads if they are not on Etival St, the unleashed dog exercise area. Violators could be fined $330 or more.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
However, in early June 2022, a local who was walking his dogs spotted an injured young pelican near the off-leash site. It was determined that the bird was the victim of a dog attack due to some telltale paw prints on the ground.
Advocate and Northern Beaches WIRES Area Coordinator Lyn Millett OAM said that whilst most dog owners are responsible, some people still forget to contain their dogs, especially around the sand flat. Ms Millett has witnessed instances where they needed to tell off the owners to control their pets.
Ms Millett believes that more policing of the area should be in place, especially during the weekends when pet owners bring their furry pals to the sand flat. Council, however, has assured the public that the rangers are “proactively monitoring” Careel Bay for unrestrained dog activity.
To learn more about responsible pet ownership, including dog registrations and microchipping, visit the Council’s official site. Call Council at 1300 434 434 to report a dog attack.
The recent death of a dog due to illegal dog baiting activity in Hitchcock Park, near the Careel Bay playing fields, has sparked heightened security checks and sparked calls for the installation of CCTV cameras in the area.
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon on the 6th of February 2022. Stacey and her husband had to stay indoors with their dogs, Malu and Hector, but a brief break in the weather gave them the opportunity to take their pets to Careel Bay sports field and the nearby Hitchcock dog park for a 30-minute walk.
Malu was let off the leash and explored the park unsupervised for about five minutes. It was presumed that during that time Malu ingested the substance but she would not exhibit signs of poisoning until the day after.
“Our beautiful, gentle, wise and calm companion Malu died on Monday 7th of February after ingesting a poison last Sunday evening the 6th of February at Careel Bay fields and dog park. Understand clearly there was no other place she went that whole week, no one she met and she was an inside dog. It was poor weather on Sunday so she and her dog brother were inside our home and did not go out without supervision,” Stacey said.
Photo Credit: Stacey Demarco / Facebook
Their beloved companion was rushed to the local veterinarian but then had to be taken to the Northside Emergency Vet Service. Sadly, Malu succumbed to an anticoagulant, a common ingredient used in rodenticides.
“Malu fought hard. So hard. She had a team of incredible vets from two practices working on her but she succumbed to the poison which according to blood work was an anti-coagulant commonly found in rat poison.
“She was murdered. It wasn’t a kind death. From what I now know, other dogs have also fallen victim. This has to stop.
“To say my husband and I are devastated to lose her doesn’t scratch the surface of what we are currently experiencing, and as Malu was beloved by so many in our community, there has been an outpouring of support and grief from all who knew her from vets, trainers, walkers and dog people of all kinds. One person yesterday I know said to me that they ‘were not really a dog person, but I’m a ‘Malu person’.”
Photo Credit: Stacey Demarco / Facebook
Stacey had the incident reported to Northern Beaches Council who confirmed that it was not undertaking any fox baiting in the area but has proactively carried out patrol checks in the Careel Bay area to deter future illegal baiting activities. So far, no evidence of baiting has been found.
Northern Beaches Police has also been notified and said that it is “a difficult crime to solve” because of the lack of lighting at the fields and perpetrators would often come at night and take advantage of the darkness to accomplish their illegal activities.
“They agreed though better lighting and CCTV would be useful. They were aware of baitings over the last few years but not these new ones at Careel.”
Anticoagulant rodenticides prevent blood from clotting resulting in internal bleeding, however, it can take days for its toxic effects to manifest. Signs of bait poisoning include loss of appetite, blood in the stool, bleeding gums, blood in the urine, seizures, difficulty in breathing, weakness, and even sudden death. Call your vet or the Animal Poisons Centre on 1300 869 738 immediately if you suspect that your dog has eaten rat poison.
