Pet dog becomes first canine in the UK to help combat air pollution

Labrador is thought to be the first dog to join the fight against air pollution in this way

A labrador in Buckinghamshire has become the first pet dog in the UK, and maybe even the world, to help tackle air pollution.

Bagheera, nicknamed Baggy, wears a pollution monitor on her collar that means she is able to record air pollution levels close to the ground.

Typically, pollution monitors are positioned higher up, such as on lamp posts, meaning that Baggy could help provide more accurate readings given that she stands 0.75 metres from the ground while lamp posts are typically 2.7 metres high.

The idea came from Baggy’s owners, father and son duo Matt and Tom Hunt, who have found that, according to Baggy’s monitor, air pollution levels are far greater closer to the ground.

“I am really proud of Baggy, I think our research is really important,” said Tom, 13.

“People need to recognise that it is us young people and kids who are suffering the most from air pollution, and something needs to be done about it urgently.”

Tom and Matt have sent their findings to the government and to Buckinghamshire County Council in an attempt to highlight how young children could be at a greater risk of getting asthma due to higher levels of air pollution being closer to the ground.

“The whole purpose of this is that Tom really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma,” says Matt.

“The national data is skewed,” he added. “The pollution monitors are ordinarily hung upside down from lampposts, a lot higher up, to avoid vandalism.

“But this gives a completely different, flawed result.

“We have about 40 to 45 hours of data now, which has shown that pollution levels are about two-thirds higher closer to the ground.”

Matt said the idea for putting an air pollution monitor on Baggy came about after he and Tom were out together on a Sunday afternoon.

“We went out to do some monitoring, and I said, why don’t we take Baggy with us? We put a pollution monitor around her collar, and let her monitor the pollution levels lower down. It just happened completely by chance.”

The dog owner explained that he is “very proud” of his son and how passionate he has become about the environment and helping children with asthma.

“When he gets an idea, he keeps his head down and gets on with it.” As for Baggy, Matt added she is “like any other dog” and “we are all really proud of her”.