EWAWKI RIVER REVIEWS

A note from Ewawki River:

When we originally placed Freya in her wonderful home in Wisconsin, we never anticipated that she would ever return back to our farm. She thrived with her animals and owner for two years and I would receive the occasional photo or video of her lounging with her sheep or being groomed by her ducks (she LOVES ducks!). But one day, her owner fell seriously ill and was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Her last act before leaving the farm was penning Freya in a small shed so people could come and do chores. Freya was unaccustomed to visitors, men in particular, and deemed everyone a trespasser. The people who came to complete chores were scared and did not want to try to handle her or remove her from the shed. As Freya's owner remained in the hospital, it was determined that she would not be able to keep the farm or most of the livestock. For the next few days, Freya watched as the livestock she loved was sold and removed. She did not understand where her owner had gone or what was happening and she became increasingly aggressive. By the time the owner's family found our puppy purchase agreement and contact information, Freya was in a poor state of mind. The family was contemplating euthanasia in the event that we couldn't come and pick her up.

In October of 2019, we dropped everything and drove to Wisconsin to see what we could do with Freya. We were warned she was dangerous, nobody had been able to get close to her, and she was absolutely terrified and highly aggressive. I asked everyone to leave for an hour to give us time to refamiliarize and provide me with some time to calm her down before we decided how to proceed. Within an hour of arriving, I had her loaded in a kennel and we were back on the road to the farm. I have no doubt that she remembered us and ultimately knew we were there to save her.

Freya started to decompress the moment she arrived back on the farm. We quarantined her for a week to get her back into our routine and let her relax. Within two weeks, she was fully integrated into our operation and had her own pasture full of goats that she loved protecting. Within a month, she had established herself with the other dogs and worked well with a partner. She was absolutely fantastic with all livestock!

We first met our buyer, Kim, when she first purchased Ryker (along with two wether goats) from our spring 2019 litter. We became good friends over the course of the whelping and weaning process and have remained in close contact since. Kim heard about Freya's arrival that fall, the trauma that she experienced, and the owner's condition. We had originally hoped that Freya might be able to return home to Wisconsin if her previous owner got better. However, as the months passed, all parties determined it was in the better interest of everyone to make a different plan for the future. Over the course of the winter, we agreed that Kim would be a fantastic placement for Freya in remote North Dakota. Freya, as an established LGD, could help train her younger brother, provide an essential partner, and could mold perfectly into a place that had very few visitors or people around.

In the summer of 2020, we took Freya and one of the wethers she was protecting (to help ease the transition) up to North Dakota. It was awesome to see Ryker, the pup from our 2019 litter, who was a year old at the time! Kim and I still talk frequently and Freya has absolutely blossomed in her new, forever home! Freya was back with us for just under a year and is now in a perfect place where she can work and thrive. The transformation that she underwent between her arrival and departure is awe-inspiring! She will forever have a special place in our hearts!