Dogs with Extraordinary Jobs

Dogs around the world come to the rescue in surprising ways. Some search for survivors when disaster strikes or rescue animals from poachers and wildlife traffickers. Others help us in times of trouble—both on land and in the water.

Meet a border collie that protects aircraft from lethal bird strikes, a sprocker spaniel whose sense of smell is saving imperilled water voles, and an Anatolian shepherd that helps conserve Africa’s most endangered big cat, the cheetah.

Meet a golden retriever that assuages anxiety and helps heal PTSD, a shepherd mix who rescues mudslide survivors, a pair of spaniels who sniff out underground water leaks, and a group of teacher’s pets in the UK that assist children learning to read.

A blind woman has found a new lease on life thanks to her canine running mate, a Jack Russell works as a super-nanny to a surprising array of species, and a team of dogs in Kenya are on daily patrol protecting endangered rhinos from poachers.

A Labrador cross and its partner help prevent ecological disaster in Canada, a Lagotto Romagnolo unearths a rare delicacy in Washington forests, and a Belgian malinois team tracks down the critically endangered geometric tortoise to save the species.