Working dog breeder James Carr said goodbye to his three-year-old sheepdog Tanner after a buyer bid $15,900 to take the ‘powerhouse’ pup home during Katanning’s Working Dog Auction.
Key points:
- Three year-old Kelpie Tanner sold for the highest amount at $15,900
- The dog auction is only WA’s second, with the last held 10 years ago
- Eighteen dogs entered into the auction held in Katanning
“She’s just at that stage now where she’s got too good at what she does on the feedlot,” Mr Carr said.
“So, I just really want to give someone else the opportunity to have a sensational dog by their side.”
Tanner will now work with Kojonup farmer and lamb co-operative WAMMCO chairman Craig Heggaton, who placed the highest bid.
“I mean a dog like this would’ve made much more in the eastern states,” he said
“A good dog is worth its weight in gold, especially one that can work well in the yards, keep the sheep moving, and replace two people in yards.”
Tanner was one of 18 dogs auctioned off during the rare dog auction, the first to have taken place in almost 10 years.
The auction attracted buyers and breeders from all around, giving them the opportunity to bid and boast working dogs.
The second highest bid was for Peter Barr’s Kelpie, Fire which sold for $11,700.
Mr Barr travelled across the Nullabor from Pinaroo in South Australia to attend the event, with a truck full of his working dogs.
“You do need a dog with your livestock. It does make life much easier with the right dogs. One dog is equivalent to 10 workers,” he said.
“So if you’ve got a good dog it saves a lot of wages in the long run.”
Mr Barr sold all four of his Kelpies in the auction, taking home just under $30,000.
State sheepish about sales
Changerup farmer Jenny Whitelock put a couple of her dogs up for auction in Katanning.
Ms Whitelock said it was difficult to get attendance numbers for a working dog auction.
“This is the second auction. We don’t have a community of close-knit people being in such a large state,” she said.
“People come from all over the place, and they have to travel long distances to put the dogs together to run an auction.”
Shannon Keilar is another breeder, selling two border collies at the auction.
Both dogs had a reserve of $2,000, one selling for the reserve price, and the other for $1,900.
“It isn’t a huge amount of money, but this being something new for WA and just having your dogs out there and being able to showcase them is pretty special in itself,” Ms Keilar said.
Volunteers made it happen
Auction coordinator and Williams farmer Jim Harradine volunteered his time, alongside Blake Robinson, to bring the event to Katanning.
“As far as expectations go, we’re blown away. We’re really happy with the result,” Mr Harradine said.
“Certainly Tanner got what she was worth — a fully trained dog’s worth $12,000 to $15,000 every day of the week.”
