Mary, My Shepherd Friend

Mary moved to Brookfield from Cape Cod not too long ago. She was looking for a place to raise sheep and maintain her Border Collie rescue home. Mary is an endurance rider and took her pony across Newfoundland and then Ireland! She and her dogs make a living by chasing geese out of golf courses, parks, etc. I was hanging out on the farm one day last summer when Mary pulled up in her Suburban, with a Border Collie navigating, of course. She came to find the "sheep person" who moved into the neighborhood. Since I had not seen a human in many days, it was a welcome visit. One evening she brought one of her blue-blood grand champion dogs over to help me graze my flock. My sheep are not the easiest to work, as they are with dogs all the time and are not afraid of them. Mary's dog would never, ever grip, or bite, a sheep - so he just threw himself up against the sheep to move them. What a display of professionalism on the part of the dog - and a lack of foresight by Maggie, who forgot to lock up the llamas. They were not happy about a strange dog in with the sheep...all lived to tell the tale!

Mary has just had a litter of pups from grand champion parents that come from Scotland and Wales. Here she is with her LGD - livestock guardian dog, Katie, who, together with her mate have complete care or Mary's Katahdin and Cheviot sheep. Nice to have a shepherd friend nearby in this land of dairy farms!