A sheep that spent 45 days on the loose in Wadsworth is safe at a farm animal sanctuary — roped at last by a 14-year-old rider and her horse. Reagan Crumpler and her 18-year-old horse, Catalena, captured the American Blackbelly sheep on Wednesday after an hours-long pursuit, ending a chase that had drawn in volunteers, a sheriff’s department and even aerial drones, the Akron Beacon Journal reported, in coverage carried by the New York Post.
Crumpler had tried to catch the sheep before without success. This time, she recalled asking her horse beforehand, “Catalena, you want to go catch a sheep today?” — a moment the teen recounted to the Akron Beacon Journal. Each time the pair closed in, the sheep turned away, until Crumpler urged the horse on: “Come on, Cat. We got this. Keep going.” She told the Beacon Journal it felt as if the horse understood, kicked into high gear, and got them in front of the animal so she could finally rope it.
While the sheep was loose, Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary owner Janine Smalley and volunteer Rebecca Roxberry ran a Facebook campaign to bring it in safely, and residents across Wadsworth reported sightings and helped however they could. “The people of Wadsworth, they were so helpful,” Roxberry told News 5 Cleveland. Roxberry said she simply did not want to see the animal hurt: “I just didn’t want to see her get hurt,” she said in comments reported by the New York Post. “I love animals, all animals, and I was like, ‘Oh, we gotta do something.’”
When the capture finally happened, Roxberry said everyone involved shed tears. “We actually can breathe because she is safe,” she said, in comments reported by the New York Post. The sanctuary then shared the news on Facebook: “After 45 days of hard work, patience, and teamwork, Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary, our volunteers, and an incredible community were finally able to catch this sheep and bring her to safety!”
The sheep has been named Gerri Reagan, after the teenage roper who caught her, and is doing well on a 72-hour hold at Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary, according to the sanctuary’s account reported by the New York Post. No owner has come forward so far; if none does, the sheep will become a permanent resident of the farm.
For Crumpler, the best part was knowing where the sheep ended up. “It made me feel really good, just knowing that the sheep was gonna go to somewhere that they would take care of it and it would get the best life,” the teen said, in comments reported by the New York Post, “and also just knowing that I could help out and just make a lot of people happy.” After 45 days, a whole town — and one determined rider — can finally stop watching the tree line.
Photo: Shoushan Zoo, CC BY