Woman Smuggled Australian Dingoes Into US?

"A SELF-STYLED saviour of Australia's native dingoes smuggled six pups into the US disguised as look-alike Japanese pooches, a court has been told."

I'm not sure how I feel about this. First, a dingo is a feral dog. Not quite as wild as a wolf, not as domesticated as a dog. In the article, they say that if the dingoes were crossed with dogs, they would be considered dogs, which should tell you something. Second, any dog with a lot of wild traits doesn't make a very good pet in most cases.

The only reason I can see for breeding a Dingo to a dog would be to isolate traits that might be useful in a dog. It is rumored that the Australian Cattle Dog is part Dingo, same with the Kelpie, so it can handle heat better than the average herding dog. I tend to believe the folklore on this. I have experience with Kelpies, able to tolerate the hottest Arizona weather and not needing much water to stay cool. Really amazing animals.

We definitely don't need another wild invasive predator let loose in our wild habitats. Look what has happened with the feral hogs around the world. The US already has wolves and coyotes to do the job. Who knows what the effect would be if Dingoes were released.

I'm really not opposed to someone owning a wolf or coyote as a pet. I've read numerous stories of people successfully owning them, and most dog trainers eventually will work with a wolf hybrid. I would NOT recommend going out and getting one, however, when there are so many good dogs you can otherwise get, such as dogs in shelters or from reputable hobby breeders.

Should the exportation be illegal. Not sure. Should this person be prosecuted? Well, you should obey the laws, and if you have trouble with the laws, then work to change them instead of violating them. Let's see how this court case plays out. This article says the accused is a Dingo savior, implying that the Dingo is threatened with extinction. I'm hoping that isn't the case, because that might affect my opinion on this if Australia isn't taking steps to protect the Dingo. Not that I'd advocate breaking the law, but I do want to hear her side of the story, and then take a position regarding conservation laws in Australia.