It’s not easy to watch the climate change catastrophe unfold as it devastates the wildlife of Australia.
Since September 2019, a staggering 1 billion animals are estimated to have died, and smoke is clouding towns and cities all over the country, making it hard for people to breathe.
Unsettling pictures of apocalyptic flames, damaged homes, injured animals, and orange skies stretching as far as New Zealand are all cause for concern.
“It’s events like this that may well hasten the extinction process for a range of other species,” – Professor Chris Dickman, The University of Sydney
Professor Dickman had originally estimated (several weeks ago) that 480 million animals would be killed by the fires, but has recently revised his number to 1 billion after the fires continued to extend and tear through more areas of the country.
When a situation is this dire, I think we can all agree it’s hard to keep spirits high.
But incidents like these also have a way of bringing out the best in humanity… and our furry friends.
In addition to the countless heartwarming stories of people stepping up to save koalas and kangaroos, we have seen some brave rescue animals too!
One of these heroic pets is Patsy, a working border collie – kelpie cross from the state of Victoria, Australia. She jumped into action when she saw her owner fighting off the wildfires as they approached their house.
She realized a flock of the farm’s sheep were in danger and went to round them up, risking her own safety to herd them back to the farm.
There’s no telling what may have happened to the herd if Patsy hadn’t gone to their rescue – could you ask for a better dog?!
6 year old Patsy is now known as ‘Patsy The Wonderdog’, and even has her own Instagram account.
Her incredible action has earned her thousands of followers in just a few days!
Cath Hill is Patsy’s aunt (well, her brother is Patsy’s owner) and has commented on the doggo’s heroic actions in Corryong, Australia.
“For Patsy, funnily enough the fires don’t really make much of a difference! She’s a border collie/kelpie cross, so she’s a working dog through and through.” – Cath Hill
Such absolute bravery! It’s amazing that she took it upon herself to care for all those sheep.
“We think Patsy’s a hero dog, but we also think that most well-trained and skilled working dogs would have done the same.” – Cath Hill
The crisis in Australia shows no signs of stopping any time soon, but the outpouring of support from around the world has been incredible.
Firefighters are coming in masses from other countries to volunteer, celebrities are using their influence to raise awareness, and more than one million people have already donated to help fight the fires.
It’s an absolutely horrible disaster, but in times like these we need some good news.
“If Patsy’s story helps put a smile on people’s faces, then that can only be a good thing!” – Cath Hill
There are many pages currently accepting donations in support of wildlife in Australia, but WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and WIRES Wildlife Rescue are two popular organizations.
If you’re looking for more uplifting stories, see this article about a pup that saved a toddler from a burning building!
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