The border collie is a dog breed popular for it’s intelligence and herding prowess. The working ones are bred to help move livestock, especially sheep, as they are smart, fast and effective.
6-year-old, Patsy, is a cross between a border collie and an Australian kelpie from Corryong, Victoria. She and her owner have has been struggling with the Australian bushfires as the flames threatened to burn up their property on New Year’s Eve.
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Patsy bravely sprung into action, rounding up the sheep and bringing them to safety. She has nerves of steel, and was extremely focused on the task, which was impossible for another dog to perform. She gathered the sheep as her owner was driving in his tractor, dousing the flames with water which ensured that most of the sheep survived, as well as the feed, sheds and other farm buildings.
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After that an Instagram account was set up for Patsy to share her story with people and give them hope in this hopeless situation. “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 of Patsy’s owner, said 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.”
“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.”
Hill said locals have been informed that conditions will get worse later in the week, with “hot windy weather” expected on Thursday. She says, “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.”
