{
  "id": 7897432,
  "title": "The Italian dog breed helping farmers protect their livestock",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/the-italian-dog-breed-helping-farmers-protect-their-livestock",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-16T23:26:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-17/maremma-guardian-dogs-protect-livestock-from-pest-animals/107123562"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An Italian breed of guardian dog known as the Maremma is being considered by farmers in Australia as a solution to protect their livestock from feral animals. Farmers have reported a high success rate of Maremmas in keeping predators at bay. Researchers are seeking more information and training to make these dogs more accessible to farmers. Leo Tompkins, a Central West NSW farmer, lost all of his lambs to predators until he introduced Maremmas to his flock. After acquiring his second dog, Tompkins reported a significant decrease in lamb and sheep mortality. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, pest animals such as wild dogs, feral pigs, and foxes cost farmers nearly $1 billion annually in livestock deaths and infrastructure damage. Maremmas, named after the Italian regions they come from, are guardian dogs that have been around for thousands of years. While alternative guardian animals such as alpacas and donkeys exist, Maremmas are becoming increasingly popular due to their effectiveness. University of Tasmania researcher Linda van Bommel has studied Maremmas for 20 years and found that about 66% of farmers reported predation stopping after their dogs started working, with another 30% seeing a significant decrease in predation. However, the uptake of Maremmas remains low due to a lack of training and management information. To address this issue, guardian dog workshops are being held in the Central West to help farmers understand if Maremmas are a suitable option for their enterprises.",
  "summary": "Pest animals cost Australia's farmers about $1 billion a year, but maremma guardian dogs could play a vital role in protecting vulnerable livestock.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}