The Dingo is a wild dog found throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. It is a common misconception that they are native to Australia. The Dingo of Australia has found its way into many of the Australian dog breeds' lineage, and into our home as companions. However, the owning of Dingos as pets is highly controversial.
  
     In recent years Dingos have received a large amount of bad publicity. This began with the Azaria Chamberlain case, where the child disappeared and her mother claimed, "The Dingo ate my baby." The child was never found. There have also been numerous attacks on Fraser Island, one of the wild Dingos last refuges, and also a well-known tourist attraction.

     In the past, however, Dingos were a large part of an Australian Aborigine's life. They were kept as companions and used for hunting and warmth on cold nights. It wasn't until European Settlers came to Australia with their livestock. Whenever livestock was killed it was this animal that was immediately blamed. They became trapped, shot, and poisoned, regardless if they were wild or the Aborigine's. Between the original killings and the recent attacks this is another animal that may become extinct. By the 1990s about 1/3 of all wild Dingos had become hybrids and in the remote areas the animals are suffering from inbreeding. Many consider Fraser Island as the only hope for the wild Dingo.
   
    Fraser Island seems to cause only more problems for the Dingo. As the island draws tourists, for years they were an attraction. Perhaps the feeding of the wild dogs caused them to no longer fear humans. In 2001, about 200 still remained on the island, when a nine-year-old boy was attacked and killed. This led to a cull of 65 protected Dingos.
   
    It is believed Dingos can be domesticated, but only when taken into captivity as pups. If the state of the wild Dingo continues as it is, with even the protected animals being killed, perhaps domestication is the only way to save it from extinction.