It was a risky decision to begin with - getting large Maremma dogs to guard an endangered colony of penguins on Middle Island, near the Victorian coastal city of Warrnambool.
The theory, pitched by Warrnambool chicken farmer Allan 'Swampy' Marsh, was that the dogs would rescue the penguins, which were being picked off by foxes until the population was dangerously low.
Mr Marsh had already found the dogs to be excellent guard dogs for his free range chickens, and did not see why the idea could not work.
“A penguin is really only a chook in a dinner suit as far as the dog's concerned,” Mr Marsh said.
Warrnambool City Council took a chance one two Maremmas called Oodie and Toola and the rest, as they say, is history.
“It vindicates that it was a bloody good idea to start with - it took so much work to convince everyone else it was a good idea."
The endearing story was gobbled up by international media and even hit the silver screen with Shane Jacobson starring as Swampy in the children’s feature film Oddball.
The real Swampy said the actor’s portrayal is true-to-life.
“Shane's almost exactly the same as I was 15 years ago," he said.
"He and his brother studied me closely and they've got all the mannerisms, all the sayings."
Oddball broadcast Warrnambool as a tourism destination and John Watson, who runs the Lady Bay Resort, said since the film’s release, the increase in tourism is noticeable.
“There are stories of people jumping off planes [and] hiring a car just because they've seen the film on the plane [and they want] to come visit Warrnambool to see where the story took place,” Mr Watson said.
A still from the movie Oddball. Source: YouTube
Mr Marsh said the 30 per cent increase in visitor numbers justified what was a bold decision.
“It vindicates that it was a bloody good idea to start with - it took so much work to convince everyone else it was a good idea,” he said.
Since the guard dogs were introduced eight years ago the population has increased to nearly 200.
Warrnambool City Council dog trainer Peter Abbott said the dog experiment has been a resounding success.
“They think the island is their island so anything that comes onto their space that's a little bit unusual, and if that threat comes closer and closer, the bark will get more agitated and more aggressive,” he said.
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