Pepin is famous for going to work after just 9 weeks of training, finding 52 scats in a single day.With unemployment at an all time low, it seems controversial that some very solid jobs are going to non-humans, but there are just some things that humans will never be qualified to do. Unfair, you say? Well, let’s run down the list of job requirements for this specific position and if you can find a human that qualifies, reply at once.
This candidate must:
- Follow orders
- Be rough, energetic and adventurous
- Travel around the world
- Find things that are nearly impossible to see
- Be willing to ride in the back of a truck and wear a collar
- Run long distances
- Be a fast learner
- Be obsessed with toys
- Be willing to sniff poop
- Get compensated in rope-tugging with benefits such as scratches and belly rubs
- Come from a background of animal shelter living
Yes, the only qualified species is: Dog.
The Job: Working Dog for Conservation.
I saw these dogs in action at the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) Expo in San Francisco in October. The organization, Working Dogs for Conservation and their dog demo with Pepin took center stage during lunch. While Pepin was inside the building schmoozing with the likes of Dr. Jane Goodall, her trainers hid scat in a giant, wide open field area. Once the crowd gathered, Pepin was taken outside, given directions and once released, blasted with determination and blatant glee out into the field. Within 3 minutes she had located the scat and sat proudly next to it, indicating to her trainer that she had done her job; a job that would have taken a human hours.