Patsy: Australia’s heroic hound

Posted by Imogen Searra on 28 January 2020

Swathes of land in Australia have been engulfed in fire since September 2019. The infernos have devastated massive parts of the country, 30 people have been killed, an estimated 1-billion animals have died and 3,000 homes have burned down.

Among all the doom and gloom, however, a hero has emerged. Patsy, a six-year-old kelpie-border collie from Corryong in Victoria, has helped save 900 sheep. Her owner, Stephen Hill’s, entire flock was in danger as a nearby blaze encroached on their farm.

Patsy managed to herd the entire flock to the safest paddock on the farm, while Hill fought off the blaze. Speaking to ATI, Hill said: ‘I’d have been stuffed without Patsy. She’s earned front-seat privileges for the rest of her life.’

Patsy’s owners have made an Instagram account for her. People from around the world have sent in kind messages to her and her family in the wake of the devastation.

Patsy’s account is being used to garner donations for relief efforts and to spread awareness on how people can help the situation.

Cath Hill, Stephen’s brother explained that: ‘These fires are the worst in living memory here, and our fire season is not even half over. Along the East coast of Australia, other fires have been burning for literally months. Many areas have been in severe drought, and 2019 has now been identified as the hottest year on record in Australia.’

Patsy’s account urges those who can donate to any official bushfire relief group, such as BlazeAid and the Australian Red Cross.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A big thank you to Patsy’s friend Eleanor for this lovely photo she took of Patsy today after the hard work was done! Not only does Patsy look happy as, the background shows a clear patch of sky and an unburnt paddock, just like everywhere in the Upper Murray looked only a few short days ago….sigh….😢 We’ll get there, but it’s going to be a long road. Just as well we’ve got good mates and a great community! And just in case anyone was concerned about Patsy being tied to the quad bike, that’s just to keep her safely out of the way while other vehicles were moving around. The quad bike was parked and turned off. Sometimes Patsy can be a bit too curious about who’s doing what, so best to keep her safe and sound. No one’s taking chances with this girl these days! #workingdogs #corryong #uppermurray

A post shared by Patsy The Wonderdog (@patsythecorryongwonderdog) on

 

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Many people have asked for the original video of Patsy to be put up, so here it is….when I stood in this burnt black paddock after the fire ripped through our family farm in Corryong, all I wanted to do was show our friends and family that we were ok, that we were still here, and that even in all the devastation we still had so much to be grateful for. So many others have lost quite literally everything they have. I never dreamed that these 20 seconds of Patsy in a paddock would spread across the world, and that me posting pictures of a little black and white dog would become my way to help my hometown recover from the worst fires in living memory. It’s funny how life works sometimes… These fires are not over. Not even close to being over. They will burn for weeks, months even, and communities all over Australia are going to be hit just like Corryong has been. Our fire season here isn’t even half way through, and it seems like nowhere is safe. It’s easy to feel helpless. But, it’s also easy to help. Make a donation to bushfire relief, no matter how small it is, trust me it will be appreciated. Every little bit helps!

A post shared by Patsy The Wonderdog (@patsythecorryongwonderdog) on

 

Image: Instagram

 

 

 

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