Colorado Ranchers Turn to Guardian Dogs as Wolf Policies Drive New Challenges

I’m commenting on this article.

A ranch in Colorado’s Yampa Valley, operated by Jan and Pat Stanko, is helping introduce livestock guardian dogs like Turkish Boz Shepherds to protect against predators, particularly as the state reintroduces wolves. These dogs, backed by a USDA program, offer nonlethal protection and require careful training to fit specific ranching needs. While this might sound like progress, it’s only necessary because urban voices from places like Denver and Boulder influence rural policy, forcing ranchers to adapt their operations—thanks to bureaucratic meddling that didn’t exactly scream “local solutions.”

Look, I will land on the side of defending Colorado’s agriculturists all day, any day. If the ninnies in Boulder wouldn’t have had their way in enacting a feel-good, but worthless, policy which made these ranchers’ herds an all you can eat buffet for wolves, we wouldn’t need this. But they mandated policy from the comfort of their Boulder County Starbucks – and our ranchers suffer and pay.

And so do the rest of us. Ultimately, in higher protein prices, but did you notice what this article is about? A USDA provided dog. And who pays for said canine. You and me, friends. But we always wind up paying, don’t we?