Conservation Canines

Starred review from August 1, 2021
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* The Oregon spotted frog is endangered; knowing where it lives is crucial to the conservationists trying to save the species. One such worker in British Columbia has a special assistant: Alli, an Australian cattle dog who stops suddenly and gazes at her handler when she's found one of the frogs. Alli is a detection dog, but that's just one canine conservation job. Chapters here cover the history of working dogs, dogs that guard livestock and wild animals, canine conservation training, "Top Dogs Saving the Wild" (which includes information on the high-interest topics of animal poop and poison), and how readers can help in conservation work. Groc's large, high-quality color photos showcase numerous beautiful creatures working, with their human conservationists often alongside. The text is dense with scientific facts, notably about canines' incredible sense of smell, and sidebars cover related fascinating topics, such as how the animals have been employed as truffle hunters. Nonfiction for this age group frequently highlights working animals, but it doesn't often focus on their conservation assistance, nor is it as comprehensively detailed as this robust and engaging title. Sure to be a hit with both children writing reports and those who enjoy books about animal companions and adventurous work. A must for school and public libraries.

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August 15, 2021
Around the world, specially trained dogs are working with handlers to improve the environment. In some places dogs sniff out illegal animal products such as ivory, pelts, and horns, both at poaching sites and in distant places where the contraband is shipped. Dogs are being used to discover invasive species like zebra mussels, preventing expensive, hard-to-manage infestations. Rare and endangered animals can be tracked through the discovery of their scat. Dogs are perfect for these jobs, with a success rate that far exceeds that of human conservationists. Guard dogs protect domesticated animals from reintroduced predators like bears and wolves, reducing farmers' urge to destroy these vulnerable populations. They're also employed to find poisoned bait that farmers have deployed. Perhaps the most unusual use is that of dogs on boats that seek out the floating scat of nonmigratory orcas off the coast of Washington. The scat provides detailed information on the status of environmental threats to the endangered whales. Numerous color photographs accompany the detailed text. Text boxes offer additional information. Unfortunately, both those and photograph captions are presented in very small print. Readers might also wish for more photographs of the rarely seen animals such as pangolin and quoll. The final chapter includes ways readers can help in the field, although some may be unrealistic for the young audience. Anjelica Houston contributes a foreword. A well-researched and balanced presentation on a pertinent, high-interest topic. (glossary, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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