IT’S A SHEEP GUARD DOG.  THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, it turns out.

Free Lance-Star photo

A sheep farmer in Culpeper County, Virginia, is handling the problem of predators such as coyotes by bringing in an Italian dog breed that is largely unknown in America.  After consultation with a guard dog authority, the Campbell family has placed two Maremma’s on their 1,000-acre farm.

This unusual breed does not herd sheep, such as a border collie does, but it guards and protects the herd.  The dogs actually live with the sheep, wandering with them in the pastures and staying  with them day and night.

Firegeezer finds this to be a very interesting story about an unusual animal and I thought you would enjoy reading this REPORT.

ONE OF OUR REGULAR READERS, TIBOR PAL, IN HUNGARY is a member of a volunteer search and rescue team.  He has written asking for some help.  First I will quote from his initial email to us:

My name is Tibor Pál, and I am writing to you from the University of Pécs, Faculty of Business and Economics, in Hungary.

I am a graduate, in Master of Science in Applied management, and I am writing my thesis about a Special Search and Rescue Team in Hungary, which I am a member of. I had looked at your webpage, and I found it really interesting, and thought, that you might be able to help me with some information concerning this business.

What I am mainly researching, is the financing of such teams abroad (that is both in other European countries, as well as th US) and I would like to implement some changes in our team, by generating some sponsors.

After exchanging a couple of emails, he has written a brief description of his S & R team.  I believe what he is looking for are examples of funding similar teams here in North America and also perhaps open a dialogue that will help his organization get better.  Here is his description:

“BARANYA” SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM (BSME)

Our team is a charity-based organisation whose primary aim is to find and rescue people from disaster-struck areas and offer them professional help be it of medical nature, underwater and land search or getting the injured to a safer place using mountaineering techniques. We also find it very important to popularise search and rescue techniques and to inform as wide an audience about the nature of our work as possible.

The team was founded in 2004 and have significantly improved both as far as membership and the individual preparedness of members are concerned. For now we offer our assistance in the following areas:

• medical care
• underwater search and rescue
• mountaineering and alpine techniques
• trained search dogs

We have experienced doctors, divers, mountaineers and well-qualified dog-trainers who do not only excel in their individual fields but also do a fine job in the management of the team. All our members are volunteers who devote their own free time and energy – and in most cases their financial resources, too – to team efforts.

In 2005 our medical team assisted in the post-tsunami efforts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, 2 doctors and 1 ICU assistant gave medical help, altogether 5 times. We were the only foreign search and rescue team to give medical and underwater assistance in Zrenjanin (Serbia) where a bus crashed into the river.

We were called for in Hungary – mostly in our home region - several times and as a result of all these incidents managed to set a good reputation for the team with the authorities.

We co-operate with the Police and the Emergency Management Unit as well.

Our team is a member of the Charity Organisations Association in Hungary (KARISZ) who coordinate volunteer search and rescue teams nationwide. They inform us about emergency situations and also offer their help if need be - this might mean lending specially trained volunteers or equipment.

Contacts:

+36 30 2239583 – Dr. Sári, Ferenc - chair

+36 20 2650227 – (Ms) Szabó, Kinga - secretary

Postal address: 7633 Pécs, Esztergár L. u. 1/C 4/2 Hungary

Account no. (Hungary): 50800111-11119803

E-mail:  info@bsme.hu

If there are any Geezereaders out there who are affiliated with a similar team, or if you know someone who is, please send a note off to Tibor.  International and cultural exchanges can really be rewarding.  And let me know how you get along.  Thanks. 

IN BURLINGTON IOWA A MAN WAS ARRESTED on multiple burglary charges and is being held in connection with a major church arson that happened on April 29.

WHBF Channel 4 has good video here.

IN JAPAN SHEEP ARE SO RARE THAT MANY PEOPLE have no idea what a lamb looks like.  Enter the entreprenuer who bought a flock of sheep and sold them as “fashion poodles” at half the price a poodle normally costs.  People started getting curious when their “dog” wouldn’t bark.

EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW DOGS LOVE to lap up spilt beer….or even a bit of brew in their water dish.  Well, the good times are a’coming, Fido.  Dog Star Brewing Co. is now running off batches just for doggies.  Happy Tail Ale is a non-alcoholic beer enhanced with natural beef flavorings.  Who says times are tough?

THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT’S RENOWNED SEARCH DOG “BELLA” died last week at age 14.  She was a rare canine in that she was certified in three search categories:  wilderness search, disaster rescue and cadaver recovery.  click the link for the complete story.