Nessie
Breed:English Springer Spaniel
Barking from:South Australia
Job title:Conservation detection dog
What's up dog?
The impact that Nessie has had on the people around us in her working and home capacity is amazing. Prior to Nessie detecting the fox dens on the Adelaide metropolitan and Southern coastlines last year and this year, the morale of the volunteers that were helping to protect the beach nesting shore birds was at an all time low! The volunteers were so down because the birds nests were failing time and time again because of the predation by the foxes on the eggs and the chicks of these tiny vulnerable birds. The Hooded Plover ( shore nesting birds) volunteers were so excited when they were told Nessie was going to be working along the coast detecting the fox dens. Workers had been out to try to find fox dens previously, however they could not locate all the dens, it took many people many, many hours to find the dens, with Nessie out searching, she can cover so many kilometres of coast line so much faster than people can, AND she is able to locate dens that humans just can’t find, Nessie is faster, more accurate and able to cover many more kilometres than any human can do!
2025 OZ Top Dog with a Job
Purpose
This award recognises a working dog that goes above and beyond to make a positive impact in the lives of others. Whether supporting people or fellow animals, this dog’s daily efforts help improve wellbeing, provide support, or create meaningful change in their community.
Reach
Does your dog make a difference in the life of one individual, or do they support an entire group, workplace, or community? Tell us who they help and how far their support reaches.
Impact
What kind of impact does your dog have in their role? Share how they’ve enhanced wellbeing, supported mental health, or improved the lives of those around them