Sheriff Mike Lowell said people recently picked up a border collie in the southwest area of the county and others a large white sheepdog near the Thoman Ranch off Highway 372 not far from the Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge.
These particular dogs were not abandoned or dumped, however; they were working sheep dogs.
County Animal Control Officer Chris Thomas once again explained the problem. “People pick these dogs up and bring them in with the best of intentions, but once they’ve been removed from their working environment for any amount of time, they often lose their working skills. Often, too, these sheepherder’s dogs are females that may have litters of pups hidden somewhere.”
"...once they’ve been removed from their working environment for any amount of time, they often lose their working skills" -- That is NOT true. I know of working dogs that live in regular homes while they're being fostered. When they are adopted by a family that needs them to go back to being a working dog, the dog gets right back into the game. They don't lose that instinctual trait simply by being driven by car to the local shelter. Good Lord.
A Rock Springs woman came upon seven Great Pyrenees puppies in the bottom of a gulch in a remote area south of the city and took them home, fearing that they had been abandoned. (Great Pyrenees are a favorite breed of working sheepdog.)
The pups were reported to the Sheriff’s Office, and it was determined that the pups’ mother was from one of the sheep camps operating in the area. County animal control officers worked with Eddie Lopez, the county range officer, to reunite them with their mother. (The pups are pictured here with ACO Chris Thomas.)
Officials ask that people encountering large dogs in remote areas not pick them up or feed them, but note their location and notify the Sheriff’s Office. County animal control officers can then go to the scene, assess the situation, and take appropriate action.
Instead of chastising animal lovers for intervening, why don't they chastise the dogs' owners and tell them to be more responsible - spay/neuter your dogs, put collars with current ID information on them, get a $10 micro-chip put into the dog. If your dog has a litter of puppies, keep the puppies with you.
(Sweetwater Now - October 14, 2016)
