Debunking the dingo myths

Busselton resident Kane Guy is trying to debunk common misconceptions and raise awareness of the dingo through his new e-book Dingo Tails.

The high school teacher said he started writing the book two years ago as a way to educate people and help protect the species from extinction.

He said after taking on his first dingo 2 ½ years ago and realising how little was known about them, he felt more needed to be done.

"When researching the animal itself, we were shocked that what we thought we knew about them was very limited and in most cases completely wrong," he said.

"Since then, we have developed a very good understanding of the species and have met some incredible people, in many fields, all fighting to have the dingo recognised as protected native fauna. Despite the thousands of letters, demonstrations and petitions being conducted and submitted annually, still nothing has changed.

"The more holistic reasoning behind the book was to make a difference before it is too late.

"According to the latest research, we have around 20 years before the pure dingo is extinct."

The book covers some of the most common misconceptions regarding the dingo, illustrates some of its defining features and crucial ecological function, as well as stories, poems, videos and images.

Mr Guy said owning dingos had changed the life of his family and made him want to devote time not only to his own dingos, but also to the protection of the species.

"The stories in the book range from heartbreaking to uplifting, and from unbelievable to incredible, and show the many endearing and truly unique qualities of this animal," he said.

"We hope that reading the book, people will better understand the animals, its role as a top-order predator and just how crucial it is to Australia's fragile ecology.

"We hope this will help work towards public pressure to finally list the dingo as protected native fauna nationwide."

To buy a copy of the book, visit iTunes.