Couple fined $1500 for bringing dog into restricted area of Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park

A couple have been given a hefty $1500 fine after they brought their beloved pet kelpie into a national park.

The Cairns pet owners were visiting the Great Barrier Reef in a small boat when they took their dog to the remote islet of Michaelmas Cay before letting the kelpie ashore on September 9, 2022.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) rangers spotted the couple and their dog in the restricted area of Michaelmas and Upolu Cays National Park.

Rangers charged the pair with one count each of entering a restricted access area and bringing a domestic animal into a national park.

They both pleaded guilty to the offences in Cairns Magistrates Court on June 20 this year. The man was fined $300 and the woman was fined $200.

They were also each ordered to pay $551.40 and $450 for court proceedings respectively.

QPWS principal ranger Dan Schaper said it was an expensive reminder to every visitor to the region to be aware of the rules around where they can and cannot go, especially with pets.

“In general, if part of a national park is closed, it is closed for good reason, either to keep people safe or to protect the environment,” Mr Schaper said.

“We also don’t allow pets into national parks because they can carry diseases or injure protected wildlife.

“In this case, Michaelmas Cay provides critical habitat and breeding grounds for sea birds, which nest all year round on the coastal outcrops and can be easily disturbed by people and especially by domestic animals.

“If disturbed, adult birds could abandon their chicks and eggs, leaving them vulnerable to predatory birds and sun exposure.”