Rein's Instagram account posted this image that read: "Dad said 'duck'. I wasn't quick enough." Photo / via Instagram
Rein's Instagram account posted this image that read: "Dad said 'duck'. I wasn't quick enough." Photo / via Instagram
Kiwi dogs with jobs are taking the world by storm.
Specially trained to work with the Department of Conservation, the dogs work hard to keep New Zealand's native species safe from predators, particularly on island sanctuaries such as Tiritiri Matangi and Little Barrier.
And the canines are quickly becoming socialmedia sensations.
A heart-warming photo of West Coast kiwi dog Rein with a duckling on its head made it into the Huffington Post.
The popular American news website ran a story on "dogs with jobs", about specialist New Zealand dogs helping the Department of Conservation.
Rein, a Hungarian vizsla, works in a number of locations, including the Okarito kiwi sanctuary, with handler and owner Iain Graham. It even has its own Instagram account filled with action shots.
The picture in the Huffington Post was taken earlier this year in the Waiho (Waiau) riverbed, near Franz Josef Glacier.
"A tourist brought the duckling in to work as it was found motherless. Usually if there's nothing obviously wrong with them we try and release them ASAP so this was taken just before releasing him with another group of ducklings," Graham told the Greymouth Star yesterday.
A post shared by Rein & Brew (@gingerdogwithajob) on
Rein keeps his focus after finding a Kiwi in need of assistance. Photo / Instagram / @gingerdogwithajob
"We use pest detection dogs for ongoing monitoring, eradication and island biosecurity work which consists of quarantine, surveillance and incursion response," DoC said on its website.
Neo, who also part of the programe and has his own Instagram account, is trained to find whio, brown kiwi and petrel.
