Abruzzenhund Dog Names

While the Abruzzenhund is not a well-known breed, especially outside their native Italy, Oddball the Abruzzenhund inspired a film when she helped save a colony of penguins. A rather interesting name for a big, white dog, Oddball found her purpose when she was taken to Middle Island to help protect a rare Victorian penguin colony. The Victorian penguins had made their home on Middle Island which is located about 150 meters off shore from Warrnambool, Australia. Middle Island is connected to Warrnambool by a tidal sand bridge and has been the home of the Victorian penguins for decades. In 2005, foxes had decimated the colony to fewer than 10 penguins and researchers were concerned that the species was going to become extinct. Alan “Swampy” Marsh, a chicken farmer who trained Abruzzenhunds, or Maremmas, to protect his free-range chooks came up with the idea to apply the same techniques he was using to protect the Victorian penguins. Oddball spent two weeks on Middle Island and successfully protected the small colony of penguins from the meddlesome foxes. Her watchfulness and ability to thwart the foxes led to a permanent penguin protection project, called the Middle Island Maremma Project, being put in place on Middle Island.

News of Oddball’s success and the subsequent development of the penguin protection project garnered much attention and even inspired the 2015 family film simply titled Oddball and the Penguins which was written by Peter Ivan and directed by Stuart McDonald. The movie was shown during Qantas flights and had many tourists changing their plans so they could visit Warrnambool and Middle Island and see the current Abruzzenhunds while they stand sentinel over the growing colony of Victorian penguins. This has caused a surge in tourism for the small town and brought more attention to the plight of these penguins and a little bit of fame to the large Italian guardian dogs. Oddball’s fame has even prompted citizens of Warrnambool to consider erecting a statue of Oddball. The Victorian penguin population has grown from fewer than 10 to an estimated 130 in 2015. Eudy and Tula are the newest Abruzzenhunds to spend time on Middle Island protecting the colony of penguins from foxes and other predators. They spend five days a week patrolling Middle Island. Both Eudy and Tula are eight years old and will soon be retiring from their post, therefore, two new Abruzzenhunds have begun their training to take up the watch over Middle Island. Oddball has since passed away at the ripe old age of 15 years but has been forever memorialized in the history of Warrnambool and Middle Island for her dedication to her job of guarding a small colony of penguins.