General Discussion

Firstly we had the esteemed Town Clerks statement in the Express & Echo April 19th 07 stating 'More than 12 black swans have died in the past 18 months and John Winchester believes dogs are to blame. He also stated ' Vets tell us their injuries are consistent with being attacked by dogs.
We spoke to the Vets and they havent seen a Black Swan for 3/4 years.
Now we have a statement from Derek Porter in the Gazette July 25th 07. 'A large number of swans have also been lost to dog attacks'
Where is the proof?
I have asked this question before but cannot get an answer from the Town Council.

WHY DID THEY SELL FIVE LAST YEAR?

Interesting to note that on the BBC Devon website today, the disappearance of the swans is apparently to do with the Dawlish Water being Silted up!!!! So, nothing to do with the dogs at all!!!

How can it be dog attacks anyway, no dog is allowed off the lead on the lawn and I cannot imagine any dog owner would stand there allowing their dog to attack a swan or any other bird for that matter whilst they hold their dog on a lead.

Take a look at yesterdays Dawlish Gazette back page, Derek Port our Water Fowl Warden Quote ' A large number of swans have also been lost to dog attacks'
If that was true which I don't believe is true, what happened to cctv.

ITVnews tonight.
Where are the black swans of Dawlish?
Apparently they are swiming towards Salcombe and Abbotsworthey?
Local counciler Geoff Wills told reporter its because the waterway has become so silted.

If a dog eats a feathered creature, surely some feathers should be left behind?

The council of Dawlish are a complete waste of time and money. They will say anything to throw up a smoke screen and divert people away from the truth. The warden that has just left under suspicious circumstances ran a business from the aviary in the Brunswick and what did the council do about it? nothing! They continually make excuse after excuse as to where all the waterfowl have disappeared. The qualifications that were required to get the Duck Wardens job was as long as your arm. Someone started and left without completing a week. The temporary duck warden has no qualifications at all. Complete joke.
The river is silting up from where? the dregs of the manor. It is all utter tosh and an insult to our intelligence.

Cllr Wills has said on the telly, "the previous duck warden, (Julian Lawley)when refering to the swans, had a sucessful breeding program. Where is the evidence of that Mr Wills? For the swans to go from over twenty to now just five and two of those are kept in cruel conditions in the aviary (where is the RSPCA?) must be the joke of the town.

when I first moved to Dawlish 22 years ago the brook was teeming with wildfowl and no warden
If a dog was attacking a swan can you imagine the noise the swan would create this wouldnt go unnoticed and someone would report the offence.
Where have all the black swans gone probably sold off or backed in a pie

sorry meant baked in a pie.
Also my friends dogs are afraid of the swans whenever I walk down the lawn I notice dogs give them a wide birth'

Just a thought Swan is a delicasie in Poland very expensive as well maybe someone has helped themselves as it makes them feel at home