Kingsley Vaux's 15-year-old border collie-huntaway cross dog Cassie is still working on the family farm in Ongerup, south-east of Perth, despite being deaf and arthritic. The article reports that there are many old farm dogs like Cassie who remain "totally faithful" to their masters and continue to work due to a strong bond with their owners. According to Jenny Parsons, who trains and breeds working dogs, this level of care is typical among farmers and is essential for creating effective working dogs. Thirteen-year-old kelpie Bundy, featured in the article, has shown his value as a working dog by noticing 300 missing sheep during a muster and returning them on his own.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 5517 · logged 2026-09-06
Kingsley Vaux's family has been farming at Ongerup, about 400 kilometres south-east of Perth, for more than a century.
asserted
family → farm → century
By their side are about eight generations of working dogs, with 15-year-old Cassie the last in the line.
asserted
Cassie → work → line
"They're normally gone at 10 or 12, but she still seems reasonably healthy although she's gone deaf so we're down to signals," Mr Vaux said.
"
asserted
Vaux → go → signals
It's a bit of a fight to get her to change direction or anything, but she's teaching the young ones a little bit too, so it's still a joy to be working with her."
asserted
it → get → her
A seasoned professional
The border collie-huntaway cross may be deaf and arthritic, but her love for sheep work remains strong.
uncertain
love → remain → work
"[She] always wants to do work even though she's hardly capable of it these days, at 15," Mr Vaux said.
asserted
Vaux → want → 15
"All these jobs she's done before and she knows where they're going."
asserted
they → do → ?
She is one of many old farm dogs who, far from being put out to pasture, remain "totally faithful" to their masters.
asserted
who → put → masters
"You can see it in their eyes," Mr Vaux said.
asserted
Vaux → see → eyes
Manners maketh dog
asserted
Manners → maketh → dog
Thirteen-year-old Bundy "loves getting out and amongst it", according to owner Renae Parsons, who relies on working dogs to muster thousands of sheep at her farm in Tenterden, about 330km south-east of Perth.
uncertain
who → love → Perth
The "naturally gifted" kelpie can't do as much as he used to but is still treasured by Ms Parsons.
asserted
he → do → Parsons
"He's definitely one in a million," she said.
asserted
she → say → million
"If I could find another one like him, I'd grab it in an instant."
uncertain
I → find → instant
On one occasion, in the middle of moving 3,000 sheep, a quick-witted Bundy noticed 300 were missing and nipped off to bring back the laggards on his own.
asserted
300 → move → own
But as much as Bundy likes work, there is one thing he won't stand for.
asserted
he → like → work
"He doesn't like to be yelled at," Ms Parsons said.
asserted
Parsons → like → ?
"You can talk firmly, but as soon as you get grumpy, he will go and sit on the ute and won't work.
asserted
he → talk → ute
"So you have to calm down and then he'll come back and start working again.
asserted
he → have → ?
"
Better bond, better working dog
Jenny Parsons, who trains and breeds dogs on her Tenterden farm, says this level of care is typical of farming folk, despite their tough reputation.
asserted
level → work → reputation
"A lot of people think that farmers are rough and heartless, but when you look around at all the old dogs that they've still got and absolutely adore … you can tell that most farmers are very, very soft underneath," she said.
asserted
she → think → that
In fact, it's this bond that makes for a great working dog.
asserted
that → make → dog
"They have to want to work for you," she said.
asserted
she → have → you
Special bond
Mr Vaux is emotional walking through the graveyard on his property where each dog has an epithet.
asserted
dog → walk → epithet
Beth was a talker, Fudge a prankster, Quarter always knew her left from right, and Speckles loved the water.
asserted
Speckles → know → water
"It's bloody hard when you leave one, when one leaves you," he said.
"
asserted
he → leave → you
They tug at the heartstrings, even now."
asserted
They → tug → heartstrings
He knows Cassie will end up there one day soon, but for now he's grateful for his "loyal friend".
asserted
he → know → friend
"She's a good mate, a good friend, and a good worker," he said.
"
asserted
he → say → ?
It's bloody amazing when you can hardly just move a finger and they know what you want to do."
asserted
you → move → what