Did you know a dog’s nose could help save a penguin’s life?

Your donation to our appeal - big or small - will ensure these highly trained dogs and their handlers can continue this vital work so that little penguins, seabirds, and threatened species continue to thrive. Please click here to learn more and to contribute to this vital work.

The Phillip Island Nature Parks’ conservation dogs work alongside experienced handlers, rangers and scientists to sniff out the hidden signs of dangerous predators such as foxes and feral cats. With just one whiff of scat (faeces), the dogs’ extraordinary sense of smell can reveal vital clues about where predators roam, all done in a non-invasive way. This data and information would take humans days to uncover, but it takes our dogs only minutes.

These remarkable four-legged rangers cover up to 50 km every week, tirelessly searching the coastline and bushland for evidence of threats. Their work keeps Phillip Island fox-free and strengthens the fight against feral cats, protecting precious wildlife such as the iconic little penguin, hooded plovers, fairy terns and threatened species such as the Eastern barred bandicoot population. This vital work is currently supporting the successful bush stone-curlew reintroduction, providing them the opportunity to thrive in the wild on the island.

“It’s a last place that they are free to breed and for populations to grow. All of this would not have happened without the use of the detection dogs and we wouldn’t see the island as it is today”, Craig Bester, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Senior Vertebrate Pest Officer.

The Penguin Foundation is an integral supporter of the Phillip Island Nature Parks conservation dogs program and funds the training of a new dog handler. Our campaign aims raise $40,000 to support the further expansion of the program.

We cannot do this alone. You can join us to support four highly-trained, professional wildlife heroes - Marbee, Milly, Macey and Blaze - who are working at the frontline of conservation and biodiversity protection. With your generous contributions, they will become the next generation of guardians for the island’s wildlife.

Every gift helps us train these professional working dogs into skilled protectors. The dogs are specialists and vital partners in conservation. In tandem with their handlers, they are true wildlife warriors.

Stay tuned to our social media updates as we introduce you to the quirky personality of our dogs and their handlers. Together, we can power their noses, protect our wildlife, and secure a safer future for Phillip Island.

Please donate here: Conservation Dogs Appeal

Your donation makes a difference: 

$60 – Equips a conservation dog with protective gear such as leads, harnesses GPS tracking collars, keeping them safe while tracking predators.

$100 – Supports a week of patrols across Phillip Island, with conservation dogs covering up to 50 km to detect threats before they strike.

$250 – Expands fox detection in San Remo, which helps prevent fox incursions and supports the protection of wildlife populations on the island.

$500 – Expands feral cat detection patrols, providing safer nesting grounds for hooded plovers, fairy terns, and other vulnerable species.