3 days ago
Muster Dogs icon Frank Finger mourns death of wife Cathy and dog Annie
It was a bond that captured the hearts of Australians.
Frank Finger and his champion muster dog Annie proved a gentle hand could be one of the most effective training tools when they were crowned champions of season one of the ABC's Muster Dogs series in 2022.
But within the space of two days, Mr Finger has lost both his beloved wife Catherine and his "lovely dog" Annie.
He said he had been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support.
"I think part of [Annie's] death was brought on by my wife Cathy [who] died last week, and she hasn't been the same since," Mr Finger said.
"Since Cathy died, she's just lived in [her crate] with the door open and doesn't come to meet anyone.
"She wouldn't understand what had happened, but she could feel that we were unsettled and unhappy … and she was fretting."
A true community stalwart of Clermont in Central Queensland, Catherine Finger died on June 25.
Sharing the news, Mr Finger said "a life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered".
Annie died suddenly on June 27 at the age of five from a brain aneurysm.
She was laid to rest at a family gathering on Sunday.
"She's a classic example of what you can get from a dog if you treat them with kindness," Mr Finger said.
"All I can do now is be thankful for the time I had her and if she had to go, it must have meant to be.
"I've come to work out that 'Annies' are born and not bred. You can't set out to breed a dog like her, they just turn up, one in the litter now and again and I was just very fortunate."
Mr Finger, a third-generation cattle farmer, was given Annie as a puppy for season one of Muster Dogs.
The five grazier contestants from across Australia were given an Australian kelpie puppy from the same litter to train into a working muster dog in 12 months.
She was given the name of Annie by Mr Finger, in honour of his late mother who he was close with and who was known for always having a beautiful vegetable garden.
"I knew if I called her that I would have a bond just the same as I had with my mother," Mr Finger said.
"You can be the best trainer in the world but unless you care for that particular animal and have that bond you won't get what we had."
Mr Finger said choosing a meaningful name was a bonding secret and it needed to be something that is special to you, creating a special tone in your voice for the dog to pick up.
Throughout the show, Annie gained the nickname of "princess" and Mr Finger would often refer to her as a "lovely dog" in filming.
After winning the television show, the pair went on to become celebrities, travelling across the nation to compete in muster dog trials and appear as guest stars in agricultural shows and events.
When they weren't out on the road, Annie was in the paddocks at the Clermont property, working on mobs of cattle up to 350 head, or demonstrating in working dog schools hosted on the property.
Annie and her brother Lucifer, who also starred on the television show, were also popular guests during their regular visits to the aged care facility in Clermont, Montcler Nursing Home.
The residents loved having the canine visitors, providing uplifting pet therapy and companionship.
Mr and Mrs Finger had been married for 47 years and together have four children, three sons and a daughter, and 12 grandchildren.
Not one for the spotlight, Mrs Finger was happy to leave the television fame to her husband but was a quiet unwavering support for him.
Mr Finger said his family and the Clermont community had rallied behind him.
"I'm overwhelmed by the support," he said.
"What will happen now, I will probably wait and get another pup and I'll call it Annie and will go again."
