Sgiath the Labrador was named Animal of the Year

A black Labrador named Sgiath was crowned Animal of the Year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare on October 15, recognized for sniffing out an invasive marine species along Britain's coast. The 6-year-old, pronounced Skee-ah, is believed to be the first dog trained to detect carpet sea squirt, a slimy organism nicknamed "sea vomit" that can smother native species and clog oyster farms. Originally trained for mountain rescue, she now walks the beach near Glencoe, Scotland, entering the water at low tide to find colonies hidden under seaweed. Her handler, marine ecologist Texa Sim, says Sgiath is never wrong. "She just does a survey with her nose, essentially," Sim told BBC News. "She can pinpoint exactly where it is." Traditional detection needs DNA testing and lab time. Sgiath needs a nose. Sim has since added a 3-year-old protege named Uisge to the team.