BIG WIN FOR ROCKY GETS TAILS WAGGING
SIT, come, lay down and stay are commands most dogs know, but few have dedicated their lives to saving thousands of endangered animals.
Rocky the English springer spaniel, from Amby in western Queensland, has been recognised for his conservation work at the Puppy Tales 2022 Australian Dog of the Year Awards.
Walking away with this year’s bonus prize, Rocky was commended for detecting pests, saving thousands of sea turtles on beaches across the state and restoring the population of critically endangered bilbies at Currawinya National Park.
Bred to be a detector dog, Rocky can detect the scent of foxes, wild dogs, feral cats and rabbits and has worked alongside his handler Tom Garrett since 2015.
Mr Garrett is a senior project officer with Southern Queensland Landscapes and works in pest animal and invasive weed disciplines.
Together, the duo has worked on various projects and found a particular niche in fox den detection.
“I was surprised when I heard Rocky was being recognised in the Australian Dog of the Year Award as the other entrants were of such a high standard and were assistance dogs,” Mr Garrett said.
“Conservation dogs excel in their particular field of work, however the work is generally not recognised in the public arena except by those directly involved in the work.”