Molly, a Labrador, has shown incredible persistence by picking up thousands of pieces of litter from the seafront.
Molly works with her owner Fliss Cater to remove hundreds of pieces of rubbish every day and they don’t even have a break for Christmas.
Watch to meet the adorable pooch below!
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Video credit: Rumble
The two-year-old pooch used to spot and pick up plastic bottles and this habit of the talented dog inspired her owner to train her to work for the greater good.
Molly used to pick things from the beach up from an age of just four months.
Fliss, however, was concerned about Molly getting harmed in the process so she trained her to identify and pick things that are not potentially dangerous for her.
Now, the talented pooch can retrieve buried bottles, plastic waste, and buckets when instructed.
Thirty-five-year-old Fliss said: “I taught her different commands to keep her safe because there’ll be things on the beach that could harm her.
“There are needles and sharp objects or just things you wouldn’t expect, so I wouldn’t let her go and pick anything up on her own.
“As a puppy she picked up a dead animal once or twice, but I told her off and put on my angriest voice and she’s never done it since.”
Fliss has been living in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, with her 36-year-old boyfriend Richard since 2017, and has a bath and skincare shop there.
She was surprised by the amount of litter “senselessly” left by people on the coastline. Fliss said: “I’ve had Molly since she was just nine weeks old and she’s always loved picking up plastic bottles.
“Labradors are quite inquisitive and energetic so I was lucky that she immediately had a knack for it.
“If you live by the beach and enjoy it, I think it’s our responsibility to keep it clean. In the summer it was impossible to avoid the litter — it was just everywhere.
“We’ll pick up hundreds of items every single day, and I’ve had to upgrade from small bags to massive bin liners.
“She loves it so much she doesn’t ask for treats when she finds something. All she wants is a “Good girl, Molly” and she’s a happy dog.”
She added: “She’s such a good girl and she’s never had any issues — unless she spots a tennis ball. Tennis balls take precedence over everything!
“I can’t take credit for her great work. She’s the best dog and it’s really just the way she is.”
Sometimes, Molly’s litter picking practices put her in difficult situations.
Fliss said: “She still doesn’t know the difference between an empty discarded bottle and a bottle that is still full, which has led to some interesting situations.
“She’ll sometimes come back to me with a full bottle and I’ll look across the beach and there’ll be a confused person wondering why this dog has just stolen their drink.
“Her intentions are good, though, and she’s just trying to do the right thing. Thankfully, no one ever gets angry because she’s so cute.”
Molly’s persistent presence at the beach has made her a celebrity with the regular visitors of the beach. Fliss explained that Molly does not only clean the beach, but she also inspires people to keep the area clean.
The waste Molly and Fliss collect from the beach is disposed of the correct way, and some is sent to artists who recycle it to make art pieces.
Fliss said: “We get stopped all the time by people who think it’s adorable that she’s cleaning.
“She gets so much attention and she loves it. She knows she’s a bit of a star. Unfortunately, Molly can’t clean the beach on her own, but she’s trying.
“We want to get people involved or at least make them think twice before disposing of their litter so carelessly.
“It’s particularly alarming on the beach because people will drop rubbish in the sand, and then it’s a battle against the tides to beat them to it.
“Once the tide comes in, the litter is gone and will make its way into the sea and threaten our marine life.
“If you’re a business here, who relies on people coming to the beach, I think you’ve got a responsibility to protect it.”
She added: “We pick litter so often I don’t really leave the house without rubber gloves and loads of bags. We always pick litter when we go on walks, no matter what.
“Sometimes she’ll go off and rummage through bushes and tight spots — and it’s brilliant because those are places we [humans] simply couldn’t reach.
“She’ll try and get what she can but sometimes it’s a bit too much with all the fly-tipping that’s going on.
“I’ve had to consider getting her a little cart to save my arms. It’s a full body workout.”
Fliss has the plans to have a whole army of beach cleaning dogs which, she says, will only stop once the beach is totally cleared of all the litter.
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