Dog left to die in Roosevelt sheds light on widespread problem

SALT LAKE CITY — A dog presumed dead in Roosevelt is recovering after shrapnel was found in his body, an incident many rescuers say should shed light on a widespread problem of violence against dogs.

Sarah Later, executive director of Great Pyrenees Rescue Resources Utah Montana, says the Roosevelt Shelter contacted her about Ranger the dog.

“When we pulled him out, we could see that his teeth were really battered and broken on one side. He had a lot of injuries on his face. They thought he might have been attacked by a coyote, but when he went in and they did X-rays … they could see the shrapnel everywhere. It was all over his face, his skull, his gums and his tongue,” she described.

He also had shrapnel in other places on his body, which was probably buckshot.

He was essentially “shot and left to suffer,” Later said.

A widespread problem in the livestock community

Later believes Ranger was a livestock guardian dog. And such a case is not unusual in Utah, since there are no animal welfare laws protecting livestock guardian dogs like Ranger, Later said.

“Every year we have at least four very serious cases and probably another 10 to 20 cases that are worse but not quite as bad,” Later said. “These dogs are left behind when they get the sheep off the mountain, they leave them in the mountains or in the desert. So they are emaciated, usually full of parasites and worms and injured just trying to fend for themselves.”

There is a specific law that affects the well-being of these dogs, Later said. The bill is called HB 166.

“If you find an injured dog… If you pick him up and help him, you will be charged with a crime. Most people don't know that.”

It goes on to say that the bill makes it a criminal offense to help a livestock guardian dog owned by a livestock farmer.

“They are the property of the ranchers, and they take it very seriously when one of their dogs goes missing,” she said.

On this issue, the bill itself states that it is illegal to unlawfully take an animal. The bill also states that a livestock guardian dog is “presumed to belong to the owner of the livestock with whom the livestock guardian dog was living at the time of the alleged violation.”

It also prohibits the injury, “physical modification” or death of a livestock guardian dog without the permission of the dog owner.

What to do if you come across an injured sheepdog?

“Most shelters know that if someone gives up a dog like this, they have to come to us… We pay for rehabilitation, get him into a foster home… We try to get him into good hands,” Later said.

She said if you find an injured dog, be careful when picking it up. But she also says people should contact her organization because they are trained to help the dogs legally.

“We would appreciate it if people would document it and contact us,” she said.

Ultimately, Later wants people to talk about this issue so they can “change these laws and protect these dogs.”

What’s next for Ranger

The good news in this case is that while Ranger still has a long recovery process ahead of him, he will most likely be fine.

“[He] ended up losing eight teeth, [and we] “We couldn’t remove all the shrapnel,” Later said.

However, he is currently recovering in a foster home and “already has an adopter who wants to adopt him.”