WARRNAMBOOL’S Middle Island will be closed for one month while a Maremma guard dog protects penguins and birds during their breeding season.

Warrnambool City Council last night approved plans to bring in the dog to protect the island’s penguins and shearwater birds from stray dogs and foxes for a trial period of four to eight weeks.

Dogs have been the biggest culprits in killing penguins at the island, dramatically reducing their population from 2000 a few years ago to 29 today, and have been completely banned from the area.