Brave Border Collie Helps Save Flock of Sheep from Fires in Australia
Most people are familiar with the border collie — a dog breed known for its intelligence and herding prowess.
While many people are familiar with the fluffy, impeccably groomed representatives they see on televised dog shows, working border collies are bred for one purpose: To move livestock, especially sheep. They’re smart, fast and effective, and a pup named Patsy is just one example.
Patsy is actually a cross between a border collie and an Australian kelpie — another lithe, sheep-herding dog that loves working and needs a job. The result? An indispensable, stout-hearted working dog.
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Hailing from Corryong, Victoria, 6-year-old Patsy and her owner (and his farm) have been struggling with the wildfires that have ravaged Australia. When the flames threatened their property on New Year’s Eve, Patsy went to work rounding up the sheep and bringing them to safety.
A lesser dog might have balked at the smoke or the conditions, but Patsy had nerves of steel and was focused on the task at hand.
She went out and gathered the sheep as her master went around on his tractor, dousing the flames with a tank of water.
According to Metro, thanks to the teamwork between Patsy and her handler, most of the sheep survived, as well as the feed, sheds and other farm buildings.
Since then, an Instagram account has popped up for Patsy to help share her story and give people a glimmer of hope despite all the devastation the area has seen.
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“This is Patsy just after she and her human brought the sheep to safety on the morning of New Year’s Eve,” a post from Sunday reads. The photo shows Patsy sitting in a field, with flames and smoke behind her. “Cool as a cucumber, Patsy waited with him until the fire got close enough to fight with a tractor and water pump. What a team!”
“In Patsy’s last post, you can see her in front of the flames waiting as the fire got closer,” another post from Sunday read. “This footage shows just how bad the fire got when it hit Patsy’s farm. It’s taken from the Corryong town, looking out towards our farm at the base of Mt Mittamatite.”
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“The first few seconds of this video show the fire burning across the mountain and our farm. When Patsy’s human saw this footage, he really understood why all of us in town thought he and Patsy were goners.”
Cath Hill, sister to the farmer who owns Patsy, told Metro that the devastation is pushing farmers to their limits.
“It’s like Armageddon,” she said. “Everyone is just trying to get water and feed to their animals, shoot the ones that can’t be saved, get temporary fences up to keep stock secure, and put out all the logs and stumps still burning. And there’s people who have nothing left but the clothes on their backs.”
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“Patsy had a good night’s rest after another day out on the farm, and has woken up today to a social media avalanche!!!” reads a post from Monday. “Her human family are blown away how far her story has spread…. anyway, Patsy and her human really appreciate all the support coming from all over the world but unfortunately these fires aren’t over and won’t be for weeks.”
“And the recovery from the fire damage will take months, years even ? we will keep posting updates on Patsy’s story as our little Upper Murray community moves into a new and uncertain future, but in the meantime, Patsy and her family would love you to donate to these bushfire recovery groups.”
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Hill said that locals have been warned that the conditions will get even worse later in the week, with “hot windy weather” expected on Thursday.
“It’s unbelievable and it’s only going to get worse,” she said. “That’s why we put Patsy’s story out there. People need something positive.”
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