The Corryong wonder dog

1 April 2020

The story of Patsy, the kelpie border collie who quickly and calmly rounded up her flock of sheep and moved them to safety as devastating bushfires moved in, was a rare and welcome piece of heart-warming news in a tough time for the nation.

In the early hours of New Year’s Eve, as the fires closed in on the tiny Victorian town of Corryong, Patsy instinctively sprang into action and collected her 900 sheep, herding them into a safe paddock away from the moving fire front.

In the hot, dark and smoky conditions, Patsy’s owner, Stephen Hill, said that she could see better than he could in the light being thrown off by the fires.

While the property lost several sheds, only a handful of sheep were killed.

“Patsy rides in the front of the ute from now on; she never has to worry about being in the back again!” said Stephen.