On Wednesday, I received the following e-mail from Mary Fries, the owner of Isle Farms with her husband Rod. I own a cowshare and a half with them, so that I can drink a gallon and a half of their clean, safe, and delicious raw milk each week.

I decided to post it here, with permission, because it highlights the very real evil of blind sympathy for wild animals fostered by animal rights activists. Plus, given how much I love my raw milk, I’d be delighted if others would write a supportive e-mail to the County Commissioner.

Here’s the letter from Mary:

Dear Shareholders,

I realized last night that this issue pertains as much to you as it does me, so I wanted to include you and ask for your help.

Yesterday, I was out on the land, checking in on a new calf that was born this weekend. As I was standing in front of the herd, they all started running-straight towards me!-and it was all I could do to spin around one, step, spin again, and end up leaning up again the barb-wired fence. Right behind the cows, at full run, were a pack of wild dogs. One was a pit bull-who headed straight for me. I grabbed an old fence post that was by my feet, and that detoured him from coming closer. He and the other dogs left without further prodding.

This is a good summary of what the news was talking about a few weeks ago, about the dogs here in Ellicott. We personally have been fighting this problem from the get-go. The law regarding wild dogs is this — you can only shoot them if they are in the midst of attacking your livestock. Many times Rod has gone out there with the shotgun, while the dogs were in the midst of chasing the cows, but by the time he gets in range, the dogs see him coming, and run off.

I phoned Amy Lathen (County Commissioner) almost immediately yesterday. She headed up the plan to finally get these dogs under control, after years of complaints from residents. When I explained what happened, she said she had a contract ready to go with the USDA for the trapping, but they were dragging their feet. Apparently, after the news ran the segment, they got so many emails from not just Colorado Springs residents, but throughout the country, and all the way from INDIA!!, with people berating their efforts as inhumane.

I’m all for animals, but the people emailing do not have any idea of what the farmers and ranchers face when these things happen. For our farm, and many others in the area, this is part of our livelihood. These dogs are WILD, and the situations that are arising, are downright dangerous for both livestock and humans. And humane — what about the cows? They stress from being chased, and having to fight them off!

I’m asking that all of you take a second and email Amy, let her know that you are behind her effort to help our community keep ourselves and our livestock safe. You can say anything — a short “we are behind you in your efforts” to “I have ownership in livestock in Ellicott, and support you in helping keep them safe”. Whatever you can do, I think she was pretty beat up over this whole thing.

Although — her final words to me were “That’s it. We are going to do this.” Here is her email — [email protected]

Huge thanks to you all, from me AND the cows :o)

One more thing — after the cows stampeded past me yesterday, they ran in a U shape, and I was trying to figure out why they didn’t run VERY far away. Then I happened to notice, surrounded by 18 pairs of hooves, a little head popping up out of the grass — Baby Dolla :o) They weren’t going anywhere with that baby unprotected… what good cows :o)

Mary

Here’s the letter that I wrote to the County Commissioner:

Dear Ms Lathen,

I’m a resident of Douglas County, but I have livestock in Ellicott. (I have shares in Mary and Rod Fries’ herd.)

I’m very concerned to hear of the wild dogs that have been periodically terrorizing their farm, putting people and livestock at risk. So I wish to express my wholehearted support for the county doing whatever is necessary to neutralize the threat posed by these wild dogs.

Human lives and property should not be at the mercy of dangerous feral dogs due to misplaced public sympathy for them. Human beings and human concerns should come first!

Thank you for your efforts to take care of the problem.

(Please feel free to forward this letter to whomever you please, if that would be helpful to you.)

– DMH

Please feel free to write your own brief letter of support to the County Commissioner ([email protected]). She needs some moral support for her totally just decision to prioritize humans and livestock over dangerous feral dogs. Basically, it’s a good opportunity for a wee bit of activism against the animal rights crusaders. And it could make a great deal of difference to the safety and welfare of the people and livestock terrorized by these dogs.