Rogue’s conservation work is one-of-a-kind; she plays a role in protecting vulnerable species, travelling far and wide doing so!
South Africa (07 October 2025) – Rogue is an absolute legend, and incredibly skilled at the one-of-a-kind work she does. She’s a three-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer and the first of her kind in the world trained to detect a particular vulnerable species.
We do not speak its name. For safety reasons, Rogue’s team keeps the species under wraps (poachers are unrelenting), but her work is important. By using her nose to pinpoint where the species lives, this clever pooch helps conservationists build accurate maps crucial to their protection efforts.
If that sounds like a big job for a young dog, it is.
But Rogue is part of a growing community of K9 conservation dogs whose skills are changing the way wildlife and people are protected. Trained dogs have sharp noses (with a sense of smell up to 10,000 times stronger than ours!) that can detect all manner of things, including live and injured living animals and poaching evidence.
Conservation dogs have become real allies in fighting poaching, tracking endangered and distressed animals, and even sniffing out snares in the bush.
Because of their hero status and in-demand skills, they often spend a huge amount of time on the road, moving between sites and projects.
Travel can be risky, and unlike humans, dogs can’t strap in with a seatbelt.
They rely on crates, and not all crates are built equal. Rogue’s current crate isn’t crash-tested, which means in the event of an accident, she wouldn’t be fully protected. The solution is the Thule Allax crash-tested crate, the only one available in South Africa, at a cost of R21,000.
Her handler, Ash Miller, launched a BackaBuddy campaign to raise funds for the crate.
“Your contributions will go a long way in not only protecting Rogue, but at the same time the species that she helps us protect,” says Ash.
South Africans have rallied for Rogue. In just over three weeks, the fundraiser has reached R19,393, that is 92% of the goal. The outpouring of support means Rogue could be safely kitted out in time for her next field session, happening in a matter of days.
Ash and the team have also promised to pay it forward.
If they meet their target quickly, or if donations exceed it, they’ll use the extra funds to help another conservation dog get the same protection.
“At this rate, it looks as though Rogue may be fully sorted in time for her next field session, happening in just over a week. Knowing that this is possible because of your kindness and contributions fills us with so much gratitude,” shares Ash.
If you’d like to help Rogue cruise in safety, you can support her campaign on BackaBuddy here.
by 