@patsythecorryongwonderdog/InstagramAn heroic border collie rounded up a flock of sheep and herded them away from a blaze working its way towards their farm in Australia.
The adorable working dog, Patsy, and her unnamed owner braved the bushfires on New Year’s Eve as they burned through the rural town of Corryong in Victoria, Australia.
Though the flames were creeping ever closer to Patsy’s owner’s land, man and dog ventured out to ensure the sheep were as safe as could be.
Cath Hill, the sister of the border collie’s owner, shared a picture of the ‘wonder dog’ on social media, where she said Patsy helped round up the flock and direct them to the ‘safest paddock on the farm’ before heading back out to the front line.
Taking to Instagram, Cath explained:
Cool as a cucumber, Patsy waited with [her owner] until the fire got close enough to fight with a tractor and water pump.
Thanks to the hard work of Patsy and her owner, who ‘doesn’t do social media’, almost all sheep were saved from the looming fire, as were ‘the hay bales and silage, the shearing shed, and both farm houses’.
Take a look at Patsy being praised for her work here:
Allow me to introduce Patsy the wonder dog. In the early hours of 31 December 2019, while fire in Corryong was bearing down them, she and my brother rounded up the sheep and brought them to the safest paddock on the farm. She then found a safe spot while my brother fought the fire with a tractor and a tank of water. Almost all sheep are safe, along with the hay bales and silage, the shearing shed, and both farm houses. My brother doesn’t do social media, but Patsy does. Great job little girl 🙂Update 5 January 2020 – Patsy is now on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/p/B67HA-xHJSH/?igshid=126abkbj2hytc #patsythecorryongwonderdog #strongincorryongUpdate 4 January 2020 – Patsy’s story is spreading, so for those people who would like to donate funds to help the Upper Murray community, please support these links which are confirmed to be genuine and keep sharing Patsy’s post 🙂https://www.parksideproduce.net.au/products/feed-for-fire-gift-voucherhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/xycjem-cudgewa-has-burnt?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheethttps://www.gofundme.com/f/a-little-town-and-its-community-need-some-help?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet
Posted by Cath Hill on Friday, January 3, 2020
Cath spoke about the impact of Australia’s bushfire crisis in an interview with Metro, where she likened the blazes to ‘Armageddon’.
Describing the impacts the fires have had on locals and farmers like her brother, 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.
The Australian woman explained recent cool weather has prevented the fires from spreading as quickly as they have previously, but as it is the middle of summer she fears the worst is yet to come.
Cath continued:
They are expected to get worse around Thursday this week (January 6) when hot windy weather returns.
It’s unbelievable and it’s only going to get worse. That’s why we put Patsy’s story out there. People need something positive.
The video of the border collie has been shared more than 5,000 times since Cath uploaded it online, so the sister is using the opportunity to ask for donations to help fight the bushfire crisis.
GoFundMe pages have been set up to aid local areas, while bigger charities like the Australian Red Cross are also taking donations.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.