As bushfires blazed toward an Australian farm, a border collie named Patsy took action to save her herd of sheep.
It was New Year’s Eve, but no one was celebrating in Corryong, a small town in rural Victoria. Like other parts of Australia, the little village was burning, and the fires were threatening the edges of Patsy’s farm and her herd of sheep.
That’s when Patsy and her unnamed owner took a risk with their own lives to ensure that the sheep got taken someplace safer.
Patsy’s owner’s sister, Cath Hill, took a picture and video of the brave pup and posted it on social media. She called Patsy, the “wonder dog” and said she herded the sheep to take them to the “safest paddock.”
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Which, still not super safe.
Then, Patsy returned to the fire. Hill wrote, “Cool as a cucumber, Patsy waited with [her owner] until the fire got close enough to fight with a tractor and water pump.”
Patsy’s owner doesn’t use social media, but Hill praised them both for saving almost all the sheep, as well as the hay bales, silage, shearing shed and two farm houses.
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Hill also spoke to Metro about the devastation many around Australia are facing.
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.
Recent rains have helped keep the fires back, but more seasonal hot, dry weather is expected as summer blazes on. In fact, the summer has barely just begun.
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Hill hopes her video of Patsy’s bravery will lift her country’s spirits. So far, her video has been shared more than 7,000 times, along with her plea for donations to help.
It’s the world’s hope that the fires will soon go out and Australia’s people and animals finally find some relief.
