Patsy the dog saves sheep from Australian fires: 'You little champion'
Who's a good dog? Patsy, the kelpie-border collie mix, is a very good dog.
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Plenty of humans have been fighting the devastating Australian bushfires, but the animal kingdom is helping out, too. Patsy, a 6-year-old kelpie-border collie cross from Corryong, Victoria, Australia, helped save a flock of sheep from the fires, and now has an Instagram account, Patsy the Corryong Wonder Dog, where fans can leave praise and virtual pats and belly rubs.
Patsy's humans did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Cath Hill, whose brother is Patsy's guardian, spoke to Metro UK about the very good dog. Hill told Metro Patsy and her human buddy rounded up a herd of sheep and the dog brought them to the farm's safest paddock as the farmer attacked the fire.
"Cool as a cucumber, Patsy waited with (her guardian) until the fire got close enough to fight with a tractor and water pump," Hill wrote on Instagram.
Almost all the sheep were saved, Hill said.
"Hey Patsy, can you hear those sheep?" Hill asked the dog in a video cited by Metro. "That's all your work, well done. You little champion, good girl."
But it's not over.
"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," a post on Patsy's Instagram account reads. "And the recovery from the fire damage will take months, years even." The account encourages followers to donate to a number of bushfire recovery groups, including BlazeAid and the Australian Red Cross. (CNET has more info on how you can help.)
Between 18 and 20 million acres have burned, according to estimates, and at least 25 people and approximately half a billion animals have died. Australian actor Chris Hemsworth recently donated $1 million to fire-fighting efforts. His upcoming movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, was expected to begin filming in Australia in the fall, but may be delayed due to the blazes.