Lending a Paw
Chile was struck by the worst wildfire in its history back in 2017: It resulted in the loss of 714,000 acres of land and the destruction of the town of Santa Olga, displacing thousands of residents.
Since the devastating event, sisters Francisca and Constanza Torres have been helping the forests in the Talca region to regrow with the help of their three border collies, the BBC reported. The pooches are equipped with backpacks full of seeds that fall to the ground through holes when the dogs run around.
The sisters explain that they picked border collies because they are smart, fast and energetic. The dogs can travel more than 18 miles in one day and drop more than 20 pounds of seeds. They said that the activity is “more like a field trip than a job” for the pups, adding that they get rewarded with lots of treats and love.
The idea was born because the sisters said they had to do something.
“We have lived here since we were very young and then there were lots of forest…full of animals,” said Constanza. “Now you can see there is nothing left…”
The sisters pay for everything themselves and hope to expand the project. Their work, meanwhile, has received international recognition and both California and Australia, which have suffered devastating wildfires of their own, have reached out to them.
Watch them and the dogs here.
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