Hero spaniel who protects endangered seabirds on Scots islands crowned 'Animal of the Year'

Reid, a six-year-old springer spaniel, has been undertaking groundbreaking conservation work in the Scottish Islands.

A specialist detection dog who protects endangered seabirds from rats in the Scottish islands has been crowned "Animal of the Year".

Reid, who is a six-year-old springer spaniel, identifies rodents which pose a catastrophic threat to seabird colonies in the Scottish Islands. The heroic K9 safeguards 38 seabird islands around Scotland, including Bass Rock – home to the largest colony of breeding Northern Gannets in the world, and St Kilda – with the largest colony of Puffins in the UK.

Reid was put to work in 2021 after a study by NatureScot looked at 11 species of seabirds and found numbers of breeding seabirds in Scotland have almost halved since the 1980s.

Rats pose a major threat to these birds, potentially decimating seabird populations as they hunt for eggs, chicks, and sometimes even adult birds.

Reid works with his handler Rachel Cripps, for Biosecurity for Scotland. The 41-year-old said: “Rats are hugely problematic. If one pregnant female rat reaches an island, then the population could explode – in fact, within eight months there could be as many as 300 rats. Surprisingly, rats can also swim between islands – they're actually very good swimmers that can swim for about two kilometres.

“Reid helps us locate any rodents fast, as he searches for any sign of them – be it their scent, nests or droppings. He doesn't just work on the islands either, he also searches high-risk cargo being transported to islands such as animal feed or bedding to ensure that there are no stowaways.”

In addition to the practical detection work, Reid also goes into schools as part of their outreach work. While there, the children get to meet Reid and play a game where they race to find rats in cargo. The outreach work is said to have been well received and locals have been told of the positive impact they can have on wildlife by being vigilant.

Reid's role has now earned him the Animal of the Year award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at the BAFTA in London and Rachel said: “I’m so proud of him. He works so hard and often has to endure difficult boat journeys. This is such a big achievement, and I really hope it goes to show the potential for how dogs can play a vital role in conservation.”

Matt Collis, IFAW said: “We’ve seen canines working as therapy dogs, sniffer dogs, and working with them in the field to detect poachers and wounded wildlife. But Reid is doing something different, utilising a preventative approach to protect seabirds on the Scottish Isles. Reid is a remarkable dog, and I’m thrilled to see him receive the IFAW Animal of the Year Award.”

Reid receives his award at IFAW’s prestigious Animal Action Awards event on October 17, at BAFTA in London.

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