The UK government is dispatching trained hounds to find forest-harming pests. A dog has been used for the first time in the UK to successfully identify tree disease. Researchers from Forest Research used a trained spanador – a cocker spaniel labrador cross – to find the tree pathogen Phytophthora ramorum. Six-year-old Ivor the dog achieved a 89% successful first-time detection rate of the pest. This is an important finding as the disease (also known as Sudden Oak Death) is a menace to UK forests; spread by rain, the fungal-like organism causes the death of a wide range of trees and shrubs and has led to thousands of hectares of felling around the UK. Dr Heather Dun, a pathologist at Forest Research, said: “The results from the trials have been incredibly encouraging, with a first-time 89% detection rate highlighting the huge potential of dogs in our fight against pests and diseases.”