Oddball, the maremma that proved dogs could be used to protect a Victorian penguin colony and inspired a movie in the process, has died aged 15.

She spent only two weeks on Middle Island but her short trip led to a permanent penguin-protection project being set up and a 2015 film being named after her.

“Old Oddball has gone to the big chook run in the sky and will rest in peace!” the Middle Island maremma project posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

About 150m offshore from Warrnambool and connected by a tidal sand bridge, Middle Island has been home to little penguins for decades. Marauding foxes cut the island’s population to fewer than 10 birds in 2005.

That led chicken farmer Alan Marsh, who had trained maremmas to protect his free-range chooks, to suggest applying the same tactic for the penguins.

The world-first project was so successful it attracted interest from as far as Italy and led to Shane Jacobson portraying Marsh in the 2015 family film Oddball.

Warrnambool’s former tourism services manager Peter Abbott said Qantas passengers who had watched the movie during their flight had changed their plans once in Australia to visit the town, the Warrnambool Standard reported.

He joked that Oddball had stolen all the attention from other maremmas that had spent much longer on the island

“We always laughed that Oddball took all the glory and our current dogs have been doing it for nine years and Oddball was only on the island for two weeks,” Abbott said.

The mayor of Warrnambool, Kylie Gaston, said the council would consider putting up a statue of Oddball on Middle Island, the Standard reported.

“I’m aware there are quite a few people who think it would be a good idea to have some sort of sculpture, perhaps across from the island and perhaps this is the impetus for that,” Gaston said.

“We are indebted to Oddball. I think we need to acknowledge her for the work she did in turning our penguin population around.

“Our thoughts are with Swampy Marsh as well. Oddball was his loyal dog for many years.”

Two dogs, Eudy and Tula, now spend five days a week on the island during breeding season.

The penguin population was estimated to be 130 in 2015.