An 11-year-old Maremma (sheepdog) named Tula and her sister Eudy have been guarding breeding penguins on Middle Island near Victoria, Australia, since she was just 2 years old. Now, with a new pup named Mezzo trained to be a penguin protector, Tula can look forward to a well-deserved retirement. “She’s got a bit of arthritis, so she finds it really difficult to get up all those flights of stairs to the top of Middle Island,” said Middle Island Maremma Project Coordinator Patricia Corbett (pictured). Despite being slower than she once was, Tula won’t be completely stepping away from her role. She will still be protecting chickens at a farm and will also help train younger guardian dogs. That’s because sheepdogs are working dogs and don't like to be idle. Eudy will stay on for another season. Guard dogs were first brought to the island in 2006 after fox predation saw a sharp decline in the island’s penguin population. At the time, fewer than 10 penguins remained. Maremmas — large white dogs originally bred to protect flocks of sheep — were placed on the island to protect the penguins during breeding season. In the years since the dogs were first implemented as guardians, the penguin population has grown to 140. After years on the program, Tula will celebrate her retirement with a sentimental farewell surrounded by those who worked with her. "We're going to have a special cake for her. We'll send her off in style,” said Corbett. "I'm not 100% sure which cake I'm going to make just yet. It will probably be some form of meatloaf with either a peanut butter frosting or a mashed potato frosting."
