Casper, the heroic sheepdog, was attacked by wild coyotes while protecting his herd of sheep and is “lucky to be alive.”
Here’s What Happened
Casper, a 20-month-old Great Pyrenees from Decatur, fought off a pack of 11 coyotes who were threatening John Wierwiller’s sheep farm.
The livestock herding dog was protecting his sheep at his home and displayed his heroic actions by protecting a herd of sheep last month.
It all started in the cul de sac around 9 p.m. on November 3 when a few coyotes came near the house. John Wierwille, the homeowner and Casper’s owner, said he turned them away by throwing a few rocks in their direction and yelling at them to go away.
Later in the early morning, around 2:30 am, the farmer was woken up by the second attack, which turned deadly for eight of the eleven coyotes.
The fight lasted longer than half an hour. The young dog had bloodied skin and part of his tail torn off, Wierwiller told Atlanta’s WAGA-TV.
Farm owner John Wierwiller said this coyote group was particularly unafraid of his dog. The farmer didn’t feel threatened; Casper clearly appeared to be the pack’s target.
“He came out the fence here and killed more, and they had a fight all up and down this creek… it wasn’t a short thing, it was like a half hour. It looked like a coyote grabbed his skin and peeled it right off.”
He scampered off but returned injured two days later after Wierwiller put out a call on social media.
Help Is On The Way
“We knew he was hurt because we found parts of his tail and blood and other things, so we were worried.”
LifeLine Animal Project stepped in to help, launching a GoFundMe campaign to cover Casper’s $15,000 hospital bill.
The LifeLine Animal Project is an organization with a mission to end the euthanasia of healthy animals and has stepped in to help raise money for Casper’s hospital bills.
The campaign quickly surpassed its goal and raised enough funds to cover Casper and save future animals as well.
How is Casper Doing?
Casper’s injuries were substantial, but as the old saying goes, “you should see the other guy.”
Two days after the deadly dog fight, Casper came home and was found outside near the chickens. “He was kinda looking at me like, ‘Boss, stop looking at how bad I look, just take care of me,’” Wierwiller said.
Right now, he looks excellent a month later. He can move around, and he’s back to being a big, strong, healthy dog, says the vet.
The owner doesn’t know if he will be tending sheep in the future.
You can check out the news broadcast here.
Normally dogs like Casper don’t make it through such a vigorous fight with a pack of coyotes. Attacks on domestic pets have grown somewhat common in rural and growing suburban areas that abut wildlands throughout the United States.
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