Auditor (dog)

Auditor (before 1986 - November 10, 2003) or The Auditor was a feral dog that lived on the Montana Resources mining properties surrounding the Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana. First seen at the mine in 1986, the shaggy dog avoided human contact. He was named "Auditor" because he would appear when least expected. Auditor appeared to be a Puli, and over time developed long dreadlocks typical of the breed. Mine employees provided food, water and shelter for Auditor, who would wander the mine, often disappearing for weeks at a time, interacting with people as little as possible. After he began to show signs of arthritis, aspirin was added to his food. Auditor died on November 19, 2003, at least 17 years old.[1][2][3]

Holly Peterson, an environmental engineer at Montana Tech, took hair samples from Auditor near the end of his life, showing elevated levels of "nearly every element imaginable," with a level of arsenic 128 times that normally found in pet dog hair. Peterson's study was published in the Intermountain Journal of Sciences in June 2006.[4] Following publicity about Auditor, Peterson organized the installation of bronze statues of Auditor by Don Watts at three locations in Butte, establishing the Auditor Foundation to memorialize the dog.[2][5]