Two dieback detection dogs deployed to WA for trial to combat “biological bulldozer” phytophthora dieback

Two dogs have been brought to West Australia from New South Wales as part of a new trial to detect and prevent the spread of phytophthora dieback along the south coast. Echo, a three-year-old Brittany Spaniel, and Alice, a two-year-old English Springer Spaniel have travelled from NSW for the week-long trial that will test their abilities in a lab and in the field in WA. They’ve been trained to sniff out soil-borne diseases that damage native plants. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Ecosystem Health Branch will seek funding partners to establish a similar dog detection team in WA to fight the spread of dieback. Parks and Wildlife Plant Diseases Program leader Kylie Ireland described the disease as a “biological bulldozer” and said about 40 per cent of plant life in WA’s south, including plant life in the Stirling Range and Great Southern, is susceptible. “The department engages or invests about $1.3 million a year on mapping and management around stopping the spread of dieback,” she said. “It is a water mould so it moves a lot in water, and it pretty much infects the roots of plants and then stops them from being able to live properly. “In that process, it can kill a lot of plants.” Professional dog handler Ryan Tate said Alice and Echo have been doing “really well” in their phytophthora dieback detection and alert. “Working from NSW to WA has been a real game changer because the impacts of dieback here are so dramatic,” he said. “For us and for the dogs to interpret, it’s really clear working with these interpreters and these new environments, it’s been instrumental in the training process for the dog. “So going back further east or south, we’ll have a lot more confidence in the way the dogs work and alert thanks to these experiences we’ve had out here.” DBCA has actively managed the spread of dieback since the 1970s, first as a response to protect the jarrah forestry industry. The department continues to urge people to clean their shoes before and after hiking in dieback-prone areas to reduce the spread.