Wadsworth sheep captured by 13-year-old rider after 45 days loose
A 13-year-old on horseback roped an Ohio sheep reported loose for 45 days; it is now on stray hold at a sanctuary.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
A Wadsworth sheep captured after being reported loose for about 45 days is now safe at an Ohio animal sanctuary, thanks to 13-year-old Reagan Crumpler and her horse, Catalena.
Crumpler caught the American blackbelly sheep on Nov. 11 in a field bordering U.S. Route 224, according to UPI and reporting by the Akron Beacon Journal. The animal had been seen wandering in Wadsworth since September.
The capture ended the search for a sheep reported to have been loose for 45 days. Crumpler said she spent hours pursuing it on horseback and had several near-misses before getting a rope around it.
How was the Wadsworth sheep captured?
Before Crumpler stepped in, Janine Smalley, founder of Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary, and sanctuary volunteer Rebecca Roxberry had worked to catch the sheep. Their effort drew help from local residents, a Facebook event and posts from the Wadsworth Police Department, UPI reported.
The Beacon Journal reported that earlier attempts included using a sheep and a goat as lures, trying to corner the animal and using a drone to find it. Those attempts did not succeed.
Searchers were concerned the sheep could be struck by a vehicle after it crossed state Route 94 multiple times, according to the Beacon Journal. The rescue effort also involved the Medina County SPCA, Wadsworth police, the Medina County Sheriff's Office and community members.
Crumpler, a Litchfield resident who takes roping lessons several times a week, was contacted after her mother saw a Facebook request for someone who could rope the animal, the Beacon Journal reported.
Whispering Acres has named the sheep Gerri Reagan, after Crumpler. The sanctuary said the animal is on a stray hold while an owner has not been identified.
Smalley and Roxberry told UPI that the sheep's origins remain unknown. They said Whispering Acres would keep Gerri Reagan permanently if no documented owner comes forward.
UPI embedded a News 5 Cleveland Facebook video with its report, though the supplied page capture did not make the video available to play.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.