Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment

Dogs and the environment! How can you go wrong? You can’t, and this book doesn’t. Filled with engaging and informative text supported by copious photographs, Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment is a winner all the way.

Author Isabelle Groc is a “writer, wildlife photographer and filmmaker who specializes in wildlife conservation, endangered species and relationships between people and wildlife in a rapidly changing world”. Conservation Canines includes examples from around the world, including some fascinating examples of dogs at work in Canada, including the hunt for one of Canada’s most endangered amphibians, the Oregon spotted frog, found only in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley.

The combination of Groc’s interests and expertise has produced a book that will inform and engage young readers and encourage them to make a difference by getting involved as a “citizen scientist”.

You can become a citizen scientist yourself by joining a local nature club where you can participate in wildlife surveys and monitor wildlife, or you can contribute data to programs such as the Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count. (p. 105)

Other suggestions for getting involved include holding fundraisers, spreading the word on social media information sites, volunteering at a shelter, or getting involved with your own dog through organizations such as K9 Nose Work.

Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment is divided into five chapters: “A Brief History of the Working Dog”, “Wildlife Guardians and Peacemakers”, “A Nose for Conservation”, “Top Dogs Saving the Wild”, and “Dogs and Humans: Partners in Conservation”.

Stories include dogs in many unique environmental roles. My favourite is the story of the Penguin Protectors. Little penguins, the smallest species of penguins in the world, were almost wiped out by red foxes who discovered that at low tide they could walk to the penguin colony on Middle Island, Australia.
A local chicken farmer, Allan “Swampy” Marsh, had trained Maremma sheepdogs to protect his free-range chickens from foxes. When he heard what was happening to the little penguins, he suggested applying the same tactic. (p. 41)

The story took a number of twists and turns and includes some very sad setbacks, but the colony continues to grow. The program is very popular with visitors and you “can book a “Meet the Maremma” tour to learn about the penguin protectors.” (p. 42)

One of the other takeaways from this book is the recognition that “[a]nimals chosen to be conservation dogs are often the misfits of the dog world.” (p. 51) These are the dogs that often end up at animal shelters when the pet owners find they can’t deal with the high energy and attention needs of the dogs. But these same characteristics are exactly what is needed to work long hours and remain focused on conservation tasks.

They don’t have any hope of getting adopted, but with us these misfits become heroes. (p 52)

Because this review is based on an advance reading copy of the uncorrected proofs, the text and page numbers quoted may be changed in the final copy. The advance copy includes a table of contents, glossary, resources, a foreword by Anjelica Huston, and acknowledgments. Pages for an index are empty but indicate that they will be included in the final printing.

Whether readers are dog lovers, or environmental enthusiasts, or both, Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment will engage and inform. It is filled with interesting facts about the roles dogs play around the world in supporting our efforts to leave the planet a better place for future generations.