28/10/2026
🐾
If you find a dingo pup alone in the wild, PLEASE leave it alone.
Throughout our screening tour of On The Fence, I’ve had countless people approach me with stories about friends, family members or people they know who own dingoes they have supposedly “rescued” or “found” in the wild.
I cannot stress this enough; Finding a dingo pup alone does not mean it has been abandoned, and taking it home is NOT rescuing it.
Dingoes are incredibly devoted parents, but just like many other wild animals, they don’t spend every waking moment beside their young. Parents will regularly leave their pups unattended while they hunt, search for water or patrol their territory. Finding a litter of pups alone near a den is perfectly normal, and in most cases, their parents aren’t far away.
Removing one of these pups from the wild can have devastating consequences.
In Australia, releasing captive dingoes into the wild is illegal, meaning a decision made in a matter of minutes can have lifelong consequences for that animal.
And while some people might think keeping a dingo as a pet sounds wonderful, the reality is very different. Dingoes are not domestic dogs. They have complex behavioural, social and environmental needs that very few people have the knowledge, facilities or resources to meet. Caring for one properly requires an extraordinary level of commitment.
So what should you do if you find a dingo pup alone?
Leave it exactly where you found it. Keep your distance, don’t feed it, don’t touch it and don’t attempt to move it. Give its parents every opportunity to return without human interference.
Intervention should always be an absolute last resort, reserved for situations where an animal genuinely needs help.
I know that most people who take these animals believe they’re doing the right thing. But good intentions don’t always lead to good outcomes.
A dingo pup’s best chance at life is growing up wild, with its family, where it belongs. Please, if you ever find one, let it have that chance. 🐾
