news, local-news, Friends of Burnie Penguins, penguins, deaths, unrestrained dogs

Unrestrained dogs are a bigger threat to penguins than individuals who commit acts of animal cruelty, Friends of Burnie Penguins secretary Evelyn DeVito says. Her comments come after Joshua Leigh Jeffrey, 20, was found guilty of killing Little Penguins at Sulphur Creek on January 1, 2016. Jeffery’s sentence of 49 hours of community service and $82.15 fine was met with outrage on social media and prompted calls for tougher penalties for animal cruelty. RELATED: Ms DeVito said she was grieving for dead penguins but focusing on one man’s actions ignored the “havoc” caused by unrestrained dogs. “I’m not discounting the animal cruelty issue because it is a big issue,” she said. “My focus is on the penguins and in fact more penguins are killed by dogs than people.” Ms DeVito shared her views in an emotive post published on the Burnie Penguin Observation Centre Facebook page. She wrote that dogs were responsible for 12 dead penguins found at Low Head this month, 17 dead penguins found on Camdale Beach several years ago and for “severely damaging” the colony at Stanley. “This is not a diatribe against dogs; it is about unrestrained dogs doing what it is in their natures to do,” she wrote. “However lovely and gentle the dog who shares your home (is), that dog is designed by nature to be a predator.” Ms DeVito said some members of Friends of Burnie Penguins may not agree with her Facebook post but her comments were supported by group coordinator Perviz Marker. “Penguin colonies face lots of threats being largely urban colonies on the North-West Coast,” Dr Marker said. “Best management practices and stronger deterrents need to be in place to protect wildlife.” Ms DeVito urged the public to respect dog control laws and not take them into areas signed ‘No Dogs’. “If you allow your dog to roam in penguin colonies, you’re just as responsible as the young man who did what he did,” she said. “The consequences are the same.”

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