Dog owners slammed over Kakadu National Park act
Dog owners have criticized the law in Kakadu National Park
A photo of two dog owners taking their pets with them as they went for a walk in a popular national park has sparked outrage among Australians.
The two women took their Pomeranian with them when they went hiking in Kakadu National Park, 151 kilometers south of Darwin, in the Northern Territory.
A photo of the couple with their pet was later posted to Reddit, where social media users were outraged, claiming that dogs were not allowed in national parks.
The photo shows the two women dressed in shorts and sleeveless tops, chatting in the park grounds.
Two visitors (pictured centre) were criticized for taking their dogs to Kakadu National Park
A woman wearing a backpack is seen carrying the dog in her left hand.
The user who shared the photo online slammed the couple’s careless act and brutally reminded them of the rules against taking dogs into national parks.
“Why do people think they are above the law and can take their dogs anywhere,” the user wrote
‘Things like this make me angry. National parks have these rules for a reason.’
‘Leave your dog at home’.
A Parks Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that those who take their dogs to the park could face fines of up to hundreds of dollars.
‘Under the protection of the environment and the conservation of biodiversity (EPBC) Visitors are not allowed to bring dogs into Kakadu National Park,” the spokesperson said.
‘guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs may enter the national park, but must be kept on a leash’.
“The EPBC Act allows for a range of penalties for bringing dogs into the national park, including trespass notices of $626.”
Dogs are not allowed in national parks that are considered Commonwealth lands, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
Users were quick to respond to the post, with some agreeing with the frustrated user who complained about the visitors.
‘Yes, it grinds my gears! I saw some gray-haired nomads with their loose dog in the water at Douglas Hot Springs a few years ago. There is no concern even though there are signs everywhere saying no dogs allowed,” one person wrote.
“It’s not hard, there are signs everywhere saying no dogs allowed in national parks,” said another.
However, others came to the defense of the two women, pointing out that not everyone follows the rules.
“Honestly I had no idea about the laws surrounding national parks versus normal parks until my partner mentioned it (sic),” one user wrote.
“If I had been traveling somewhere with my dog, I could have easily taken my dog somewhere he shouldn’t be.”
Kakadu National Park (pictured) in the Northern Territory is a World Heritage Site covering a total land area of 20,000 kilometers
Kakadu National Park is one of the largest parks in Australia.
The World Heritage Site covers a total area of 20,000 kilometers.
It has been leased by traditional owners to the Director of National Parks since the late 1970s and is overseen by Indigenous owners and National Parks authorities in Australia.