Georgia Great Pyrenees Who Protected His Partner From Coyotes Is Up for Prestigious Award
The Farm Dog of the Year contest celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers in producing nutritious food for families and their pets across America.
One of the nominees this year is a Great Pyrenees named Casper who is up for the prestigious award for showing tremendous bravery in a very frightening situation.
Casper made headlines in December of 2022 because he killed eight coyotes on his owner's farm in Georgia after the coyotes threatened a flock of sheep and Casper's pregnant partner, Daisy on November 6 of that same year.
Casper's owner, John Wierwille told The Washington Post at the time of the attack, "Wierwille recounted to the outlet that he witnessed Casper jump a fence and attack a pack of 11 coyotes, biting their heads and throwing their bodies over his shoulder."
People are applauding brave Casper on Facebook, and @Mary comments, "This pooch took on a pack of coyotes. Alone. Killed eight and survived with horrendous wounds, even losing his tail.Casper understood guard duty." @Renee adds, "That brave boy should get it." @Andy responds, "He's not Casper, he's Rambo."
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Not all encounters between dogs and coyotes end in fighting, because in winter of this year a lost dog named Ghost was discovered living amongst a pack of coyotes in the Nevada desert. Even though Ghost had lived amongst the coyotes since he was about seven to eight months of age, he was found to be non-aggressive and extremely friendly towards humans.
Ghost wasn't protecting a flock of sheep and his pregnant mate, however, so there's no telling how he would have reacted if threatened.
Casper seems like a fantastic dog to win the top prize in the Farm Dog of the Year contest, but the other pups in the running seems pretty special too. Dogs play such an important role in the lives of farmers and their families and it's just so heartwarming to read about all these wonderful nominees. Every one of these dogs and their owners should be proud of these pups.
Here are the other pups up for the People's Choice Award.
Trip, a Border Collie from Ohio.
Trip helps move and manage livestock on the farm, while also helping people engage in hands-on, nature-based education when they host people at the farm.
Margo, a Rottweiler from Indiana.
Margo is a great combination of farm dog and emotional support pup during the long hours of planting and harvest. She has a goofy smile, loving attitude and loves wearing her bandana uniform.
Morgan, a Bernese Mountain Dog from Idaho.
Morgan serves as the perfect mix of a farm and family pup guarding over livestock, kids and the ranch. She is a great listener and incredibly smart and puts a smile on everyone's face.
Cinco, a Border Collie from Utah.
Cinco is a Border Collie that hails from Utah. Cinco is an instrumental part of the day-to-day operations on her owner’s farm and helps to make their dairy run smoothly and more efficiently.
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The grand prize winner – Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year – will win a year’s worth of Purina Pro-Plan dog food and $5,000 in prize money.Members of the public are invited to vote online for their favorite dog in the People’s Choice Pup contest as part of the overall competition. You can vote for all of these wonderfully deserving dogs here.
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