Meet our conservation dogs
Auckland Council's conservation dogs focus on pest detection. Dogs can detect a single rat across several hectares of dense bush – something that would take humans weeks. Their work directly protects the breeding grounds of rare species.
Meet our dogs with jobs
Meet our four-legged staff members and find out their special superpower that helps protect the Hauraki Gulf islands.
Rosie
- Breed – border terrier cross
- Target – rodents
- Favourite toy – tug toy
“I’m energetic and playful but super focused when it comes to doing my work detecting rats and mice. I’m much faster at it than my human friends, which saves time and effort. I can also get under things and into small places humans can’t.
I grew up on Waiheke Island which gave me a great head start for my work in the Hauraki Gulf. I love meeting new people at events like the annual boat shows the council attends, where I help educate people about how they can protect the Gulf.”
YouTube video: watch Rosie and her handler and learn what it takes to become a conservation detection dog
Pipi
- Breed – border terrier cross
- Target – rodents
- Favourite toy – stuffed monkey
“My first real job was looking for mice on the Antipodean Islands in the subantarctic, way south of Aotearoa. That made the Hauraki Gulf islands seem like a tropical paradise! While mice were eradicated there in 2018, my work was to ensure the islands remained mouse free".
"I do much the same job here in Tāmaki Makaurau, detecting mice and rats. I can be found working city-side at ferry terminals, checking for rodents that might be hiding in backpacks, luggage, cargo or in vehicles. Stopping them before they travel out to our precious islands saves critter’s lives! I’m also trained to be safe around native animals, which means I can look for rodents on the islands and in mainland sanctuaries like Tāwharanui Regional Park.”
Instagram video: watch Pipi checking cargo at the ferry terminal for stowaways
Marty
- Breed – English springer spaniel
- Target – kauri dieback as well as rats and mice
- Favourite toy – ball
“I’m a bit special because I’m one of only a few dogs that have been trained to detect the tiny microorganisms that cause kauri dieback. They spread through the soil, which is why it’s important that you clean your shoes, bikes and other gear, to help stop the spread. They also spread through water – lucky for me I love being around water and could spend all day swimming!
I love to keep busy and am happy sniffing vehicles and plants destined for the Hauraki Gulf islands. If I detect kauri dieback then I’ve helped to keep our kauri forests safe from this devastating disease.”
Article with video: read about Auckland's first kauri dieback sniffer dogs and watch Marty in action
Ronnie
- Breed – Fox terrier cross
- Target – rodents
- Favourite toy – tug toy
“I was raised and trained on Aotea / Great Barrier Island. I’m sometimes mistaken for a black labrador but I’m actually a terrier! Which makes me perfect for detecting rats and mice.
I’m the new kid on the block having recently joined the team. I’ve already learned to fly, in a helicopter that is, travelling to Great Mercury Island / Ahuahu to check for rats and mice. I’ve even checked houses destined for islands like Aotea.”
Article: meet Ronnie, Auckland Council's newest conservation canine
Video: watch a typical day in the life of Ronnie the conservation dog
Bobby
- Breed – Australian Cattle Dog or Blue Heeler
- Target – Argentine ants
- Favourite toy – ball
“I’m trained to find Argentine ants and no, that doesn’t mean I get to fly to South America. Argentine ants have established in Tāmaki Makaurau and we must control their populations as they prey on our native insects and even attack young birds still in their nest.
My job is to detect them in food, plants or cargo travelling to the Hauraki Gulf. I’m also well-behaved around our native species so I can help look for them on islands in sanctuaries like Shakespear Regional Park.”
Jamie
- Breed – English springer spaniel
- Target – Argentine ants
- Favourite toy – ball
“I’ve got an important job – track down those aggressive Argentine ants which, when left to their own devices, swarm and bite! The are also good at multiplying, taking over large areas and being costly to eradicate. That’s where I step in – detecting them before they get established.bMy job has taken me to many islands in the Hauraki Gulf but I’ve also worked further afield on the Chatham Islands - southeast of Aotearoa.
Article: read about Jamie winning 3rd place in New Zealand's 2025 Top Dog with a Job Award
Article: read about Jamie's pest detection work on the Chatham Islands
Mawhai
- Breed – Jagdterrier
- Target – multiple
- Favourite toy – ball
“I'm a sweet-natured and energetic dog and proudly one of the oldest members of the team. Though I'm mostly retired now I still enjoy helping to protect the islands by working part-time down at the waterfront. I'm trained to detect kauri dieback, rats, mice and other pests. Did I mention I love my ball?
I was one of the first conservation dogs to be trained to detect kauri dieback. I can sniff out infected trees and soil, making me super valuable when people want to move plants or big earth-moving machinery to the islands.”
Stuff article: World's first kauri dieback sniffer dogs are barking up the right trees
University of Auckland article: research on kauri dieback sniffer dogs Pip and Mawhai
Aria
• Breed – Beagle
• Target – many!
• Favourite toy – food
“I'm trained to detect rats, mice, Argentine ants and other pests that might be hiding in backpacks, cars or cargo travelling to pest free Hauraki Gulf islands. I used to work at the Auckland Airport but now I'm living a comfortable semi-retired life with my handler. I wasn’t ready to give up my job quite yet, so I still work part-time down at the waterfront, helping to protect the islands.”
