Auditor (also The Auditor; before 1986 – November 19, 2003) was a feral dog who lived on Montana Resources properties surrounding the

Berkeley Pit The Berkeley Pit is a former open pit copper mine in the western United States, located in Butte, Montana. It is long by wide, with an approximate maximum depth of . It is filled to a depth of about with water that is acidic (4.1 - 4.5 pH le ...

, an open pit copper mine and

Superfund Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...

site in

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the 2 ...

. First seen at the mine in 1986, the shaggy dog typically avoided human contact. He was given the name "Auditor" because he would appear when least expected. Auditor appeared to be a Puli due to his long, corded coat resembling dreadlocks, typical of that 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 Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

, aspirin was added to his food. Auditor died on November 19, 2003, at least 17 years old. Holly Peterson, an environmental engineer at

Montana Tech Montana Technological University, popularly known as Montana Tech, is a public university in Butte, Montana. Founded in 1900 as the "Montana State School of Mines", the university became affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994. After un ...

, analyzed hair samples taken from Auditor near the end of his life; she found elevated levels of "nearly every element imaginable," with a level of

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

128 times that normally found in pet dog hair. Peterson's study was published in the ''Intermountain Journal of Sciences'' in June 2006. Following publicity about Auditor, Peterson organized the installation of bronze statues of Auditor by Andrea Wilkinson at three locations in Butte, establishing the Auditor Foundation to memorialize the dog.

References

External links

Hair Trace Elements Environmental and Archeological Studies
summary of forensic work extending from Peterson's studies on Auditor's hair samples {{authority control Butte, Montana Individual dogs in the United States Mining in Montana Toxic effects of metals 2003 animal deaths Feral dogs 1980s in Montana 1990s in Montana 2000s in Montana

See also

References

External links