General News
19 February, 2026
Calls mount for control: Wild dogs threaten livestock in wake of bushfire damage
FOLLOWING the significant fires across Victoria in January, disruption to the habitat of wild dogs has been flagged as one of the ongoing ripple effects, with livestock producers in bushfire-ravaged parts of Victoria reporting more attacks.
With fires also destroying critical infrastructure, such as exclusion fencing, farm animals have been left more vulnerable to attacks, leading to many calls for help in restoration.
Victorian Farmers’ Federation vice-president and north-east livestock farmer, Peter Star, warned that without urgent investment in predator management and farm infrastructure, livestock losses would continue to rise.
“These bushfires wiped out much of the infrastructure that was in place to help keep wild dogs away from livestock, and we’re now seeing more and more wild dog attacks on livestock as a result,” he said.
“Wild dogs are coming out of the scorched hills seeking food, and without this separation infrastructure, they’ve got a free run at the vulnerable livestock on farms.
“We urgently need help to repair the damage. Without it, these attacks place additional financial and emotional strain on farmers already recovering from fire damage.”
Deakin University Wildlife Ecology and Conservation professor, Euan Ritchie, who has studied the behaviour of dingoes, including in the Mallee, added his voice to the call.
“Following Victoria's devastating fires, it’s essential that we do all we can to support people, communities, and wildlife,” he said.
“The reported loss of livestock protection infrastructure is concerning, and the Allan government should do all they can to assist the rapid repair of this infrastructure, to protect livestock, and to protect dingoes.”
Prof Ritchie said strategic and best practice animal husbandry played a role also in some areas, such as guardian dogs and donkeys, and believed his research showed “we can too work together, to support graziers, and to protect native wildlife”.
“Scientific evidence demonstrates that with such sufficient investment and support, this is eminently possible,” he said.
The VFF is calling for rapid repair and rebuilding of exclusion fencing damaged by bushfire, coordinated predator management programs across regions to reduce livestock predation and investment in research and on-ground support for sustainable feral dog control in agricultural areas.
Mr Star maintained the urgency of the situation.
“We need practical, evidence-based solutions that protect farms, livelihoods, and rural communities,” he said.
“Managing feral dogs is about balancing ecosystems with farming realities, and ignoring the problem or focusing on debates over dingo purity will not stop livestock deaths or support rural communities.
“Farmers are not debating whether dingoes are ‘pure’ or hybrids.
“The reality is their impact on agriculture is very real, and when livestock is unprotected, dingoes and feral dogs cause significant losses, particularly to sheep and young cattle.”