Dogs are the best furry buddies that humans are blessed with since the beginning of time. Loyal, loving and absolutely adorable, dogs know how to make anyone fall in love with them.
Dogs are also known to be the best guards when it comes to protecting sheep, cattle or poultry. But this island in Australia has a story that will melt your hearts.
According to a report by BBC, Middle Island in Australia had a population of around 800 little penguins back in 2005.
The island has no human inhabitants and is separated from the mainland by a stretch of water which is barely 20-30 metres.
Since it wasn’t difficult at all to cross over to the island, foxes made it their hunting ground.
They drastically wiped out most of the penguin population, reportedly dropping the number down to four.
The foxes also grew in population when they realised their access to the island and food was so convenient.
But before things got completely out of hand, a chicken farmer had the idea of bringing Maremma dogs to protect the penguin community.
These white furry buddies are a calm and loving breed of guard dogs but also extremely loyal to their flock and always on alert.
They are quick to protect and are always careful of strangers. They’re also very territorial when it comes protecting their own.
Sounds like the perfect companion to protect and love us.
And just like dogs always make everything better, the situation changed significantly on the island. The foxes stopped crossing the water stretch because they could smell the dogs or hear them barking.
Reportedly, ever since the dogs have been introduced to the island, there has been just one attack on the island.
These doggos have been a complete blessing to the penguins and are the sole reason for their survival.
The report also adds that the population of the little penguins has increased to almost 200.
This story garnered so much attention that a movie was made on the first dog that was appointed to protect the penguins. That movie was called Oddball, named after that dog.
An unlikely alliance that proved yet again, doggos are really the best!