Update: 8/4/2024 Members have been hard at work clearing grass and brush from the fences so that we have a better idea of what is going on. We are also installing these bird deterrents on the top of the fences so that the coyotes won't climb the fences now that we have staked down the bottom of the fences. They are proving to be a challenge! But with your generous donations, we will be able to purchase enough to put them where they are needed. We are also looking at a couple of donkeys. We are still a little ways away from our goals. We still need to purchase more hay to keep them fed at their sheltered pastures as they have already eaten all the grass. There are several places where the only deterrent will be electric fences. Help protect our training flock from coyotes. Blackstone Valley Herding Group Association (BVHGA) is a small herding club located in Central Massachusetts. For 23 years we have had a flock of 40 sheep in open pasture where we trained our and our students’ dogs and held herding trials. Last year during the drought coyotes discovered our flock and killed six sheep. We had to move them to their winter home in NH to keep them safe. We worked on improving fencing during the fall and spring to keep our sheep safe but sadly it wasn't enough. Recently the coyotes have returned. We have already lost 2 lambs and a mother. We returned them to safety in NH, but they can not stay there much longer as there is not enough grass for them or enough room to work our dogs or hold trials. We are working to improve the fences further to keep the coyotes out but we need money to be able to finish the project to keep our flock safe. On the advice of a local coyote expert, we are also looking into purchasing a guardian donkey for active protection. BVHGA needs the help of the herding breed community. We are a small organization and our membership alone can not cover the cost of improving the fences to guarantee the safety of our sheep. Our members and students are passionate about keeping the tending style of herding alive. Tending is a completely different style of herding in which our dogs are more along the lines of invisible fences. They keep sheep inside a designated grazing area as a moving fence. It requires large areas and large herds of sheep. There are only 6 tending flocks available for training use in the United States. Tending dogs include German Shepherd Dogs, Briards, Beaucerons, Belgian Malinois, Picards, Belgian Tervuren, and Belgian Sheepdogs, among others. All money donated will be used either for fencing or to buy a donkey. If the worst should happen and we have to sell our flock, any money remaining from this fundraiser will first be used to cover any remaining costs and debt. Any funds remaining will be donated to a charitable organization established to improve the health or welfare of dogs. The following was written by one of our members from the point of view of our sheep. Dear kind-hearted souls, I am but a humble member of the flock, writing to you in desperation, as our lives hang in the balance. The threat we face is swift and relentless, as the coyotes prowling our lands take one of us after another, leaving us trembling with fear. Our very existence is at stake, and we implore you to extend your compassion and support. Imagine for a moment the serenity of our grazing grounds, once lush and abundant, now tainted by the looming shadow of danger. Our home, our sanctuary, has become a battlefield where survival is a daily struggle. We long for the days when we could roam freely, feeling the gentle caress of grass beneath our hooves, without fearing for our lives. We have heard whispers of a solution, a glimmer of hope that could shield us from this relentless predator. Improved fencing is the key to our salvation. A barrier designed to keep the coyotes at bay, allowing us to reclaim our sense of security and restore harmony to our lives. But alas, we are but humble sheep, incapable of mustering the resources required to enact this life-saving plan. It is in this hour of desperation that we turn to you, kind souls who possess the power to make a difference. Your generous donations can provide us with the means to erect the protective fence, mow the grass, and install the improved fencing that will be our salvation. Your contribution, no matter how small, will make a world of difference to us. Each dollar raised brings us one step closer to the peace and safety we so desperately seek. With your help, our grazing grounds can once again flourish with the joyous bleating of a thriving flock, free from the shadows of fear and uncertainty. We beseech you, kind-hearted beings, to open your hearts and wallets to our cause. Stand with us in this battle for survival, for the preservation of our lives and the sanctuary we call home. Together, let us ensure that the sinister howls of the coyotes no longer haunt our dreams, and that our future is one filled with peace, security, and a sense of belonging. May your compassion guide you, and may your generosity be a beacon of hope in our darkest hour. With deepest gratitude, The Sheep in Peril
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