The world is praising the courageous humans who have been struggling to fight the devastating bushfires in Australia. What is even more powerful, however, is seeing animals struggling too. That's the case of Patsy, a six-year-old border collie and kelpie mix. The adorable dog is also a fighter that left her own mark by rescuing 900 sheep from the blaze.
More specifically, Patsy guided the flock of sheep away from a fire danger zone. As to Cath Hill, whose brother Stephen is Patsy's owner, reported, the courageous dog stayed back with her owner to ensure their farm and flock of livestock were safe.
Patsy The Wonderdog (@patsythecorryongwonderdog) on
Hill and her family were forced to leave their home just before New Year's Eve when the bushfires hit their farm on the other side of the valley in the town of Corryong. Stephen Hill was spared on that occasion, but any change to the weather could have caused embers to spark fires close by. In many images shared on Patsy's Instagram, it becomes clear that the flames are not that far off.
Fortunately for Hill's brother, the adorable dog was right by his side the whole time.
Patsy is not the only heroic dog, though. Notably, collies are famous for their remarkable drive and work ethic. Bear, another border collie mix, recently rescued a group of koalas. The blue-eyed dog works with the University of Sunshine Coast (USC) Detection Dogs for Conservation to track sick, orphaned, and injured koalas in New South Wales and Queensland. Trained by USC academics, Bear collaborates with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Hill hopes that, by sharing Patsy's story with the world, more people will be encouraged to help.
If you want to help, there is a lot you can do even from a distance. For instance, you can donate directly to workers on the front line, such as the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. As the largest volunteer fire service worldwide, they have been hard at work, keeping people safe. Country Fire Service is currently collecting donations to support volunteer firefighters who have been injured or lost their lives battling the fires.
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