Meet 12-year-old border collie Fern.
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She was recently crowned 2023 WA Farm Dog of the Year and Gillingarra owner Amy Cutler is extremely proud of her hard working girl.
In its fifth year, the competition which ran via social media, attracted close to 200 entries, an increase of 60 percent from 2022.
Ms Cutler said she nearly missed the deadline for Fern's nomination with the demands of managing a cattle property and parenting, but is glad she did as she's a deserving winner.
"Fern works as hard now as she always has done," Ms Cutler said.
"She can work sheep and cattle back in the yards and round up the chickens at home when they wander and stray.
"When she is not working she loves playing in the dam and chasing her teammates."
Fern has travelled the country with her family which has worked as stock contractors in almost every Australian State, before returning home to Gillingarra.
She has mothered two litters of puppies, some which were sold overseas, and is a previous winner of an open cattle trial competition.
Fern received a trophy and ribbon together with a $500 prize which Ms Cutler said was spent on a new dog bed and lots of bones.
