Scruff likes to collect bottles that he finds in parks during his walks
Everyone knows that most dogs like to be helpful and some love to play fetch. But Scruff the border collie likes to combine the two. He fetches littered bottles that he finds when he’s out for a walk, so his owners can throw them out. The dog has already collected over 1,000 bottles in 2022 and he will continue to collect more this year.
Fetch
13-year-old Scruff always loved to play fetch with regular sticks. But his owners stopped playing fetch with him because the vet warned them of possible cuts that the sticks could leave in his mouth. But because border collies in particular love to work and play, Scruff found other ways to stay busy. According to his owners David Grant and Yvonne Faulkner-Grant, whenever they were out for a walk, Scruff started picking up plastic bottles. They told The Washington Post: “He would see a bottle that somebody had tossed out, and he’d go pick it up, play with it, then drop it and leave it.”
Cleanup
When Scruff would bring the bottles to his owners, they would praise him for his efforts but they’d feel guilty about leaving the bottles behind. David said: “Even though they weren’t ours to begin with, we thought of it as littering.” So the couple thought of a solution: they would bring a bag with them on walks to take the bottles that Scruff collected, home. They even started to keep track of the number of bottles their canine friend gathered. In 2022, Scruff collected over a thousand bottles. And according to the Grants, he loves cleaning up! “Finding plastic bottles is his focus and passion…He’s the kind of dog that needs command, and he feels like he’s pleasing us when he drops another plastic bottle at our feet.”
Scruff’s game of fetch even got him a new nickname. Friends of the couple nicknamed him “Scruffy the Eco Warrior”. David said: “We’re glad that Scruff enjoys picking them [plastic bottles] up and can help set an example of how to care for the planet.” Scruff definitely has claimed a special place in our hearts with his eco-friendly game of fetch.
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Source: The Washington Post, BBC | Image: Unsplash, Baptist Standaert