WOODBURY – Taking care of one’s own animal is a rewarding but demanding process. Occasionally disaster can interfere with this connection one has with their livestock.
Litchfield County, an area that’s known for its pastoral scenes and rolling green fields, is rife with hungry predators who, by no fault of their own, are looking for their own meal.
Many students here at Nonnewaug have experienced a cut in their livestock populations due to the large increase in predators in the area. This can be especially hard for farmers who rely on their animals for income.
“We got a small flock of Rhode Island reds and Australorp chickens my freshman year,” says Isabella Criscione, a Nonnewaug senior from Watertown. “We’ve lost more than half of them due to foxes, hawks, and bobcats that live in our area.”
Though many aspects of farming have changed over the years, there are a few things people in the agricultural industry most think are too good to move on from. One of those being livestock guardian dogs. Livestock guardian dogs have been used for more than 6,000 years and are still doing their job to this day.
Criscione also has a large German Shepherd at home, Zenna.
“We got a line for her to be outside more and I think that’s helped keep our remaining chickens safe,” Criscione said.
For students like Nonnewaug Junior Lucas Potucek, occasional reminders of living in rural Litchfield County arise far too often.
“We’ve had a lot of trouble with hawks taking our ducks,” says Potucek. “It’s pretty gruesome too because sometimes they leave random body parts like the head behind.”
For livestock owners like Potucek, the threat of predators is omnipresent.
“We mostly just watch the skies to make sure nothing is circling our area and if we see anything, the ducks have to stay inside,” said Potucek.
Most people don’t have the luxury to just sit around all day and look after their animals, so that’s where the livestock guardian dogs come in. They’re always watching, even when it may not look like it. They know it’s their job to protect their herd from predators and, if you ask anyone who has one– or has been around one– they do a pretty good job.
“We can’t sit out there all day and just watch them, though,” says Criscione. “That’s why it makes it a lot easier for us now that we have Zenna.”
Livestock guardians dogs are born with the will to serve and protect wired in them, so much so for some that they have to live outside full time because it can become too stressful for them to be away from their herd. They are always just one step ahead, no matter the situation.
These dogs make life much easier for anyone with livestock because they really care for themselves and don’t add any added extra burdens to their owners.
“We sleep so much better at night knowing that if anything were to happen now,” said Criscione, “We have Zenna; she is the best security system anyone could ask for.”
