“For more than two thousand years, Abruzzo sheep dogs have developed a strong propensity to protect the flock”, explains Dr. Renato Semenzato, biologist, who in the coming months will follow the entire phase of insertion of the four specimens into the flock as well as to give the Dalmolin the necessary provisions for their correct breeding.
HISTORY
A precious help comes from Abruzzo to protect the life of Belluno sheep and cows. From the Apennines to the Dolomites it was a short step for four Abruzzese sheepdog puppies who, after a long journey started in L’Aquila, this morning will reach the farm of Guglielmo Dalmolin, in Rocca Pietore, where about 600 are housed. chiefs, especially sheep.
The wolf is scary
The fear of the wolf, which has returned to rage also in the Belluno Dolomites, has led Dalmolin to seek help in order to protect his flock from the increasingly frequent raids of the wolf. The help resulted in a trip made in the past few hours by General Isidoro Furlan, now in reserve, and by the biologist Renato Semenzato who, once they arrived in L’Aquila, took four puppies of Abruzzese sheep dogs from a shepherd – local breeder, Giovanni Donati; this morning the dogs, once the necessary visits have been carried out with control of the relative documents by the Forest Carabinieri of Belluno with the presence of the commander Colonel Corbini and the veterinarian Renzo Piccin, will be transferred to Rocca Pietore to be delivered to the shepherd Guglielmo Dalmolin. Which then, a little at a time, will begin in its training work.
“Protective” dogs
“For more than 2,000 years, Abruzzo sheep dogs have developed a marked propensity for protecting the flock”, explains Dr. Renato Semenzato, biologist, who in the coming months will follow the entire phase of insertion of the four specimens into the flock as well as to give the Dalmolin the necessary provisions for their correct breeding, “at the moment they represent the best deterrent to the predatory activity carried out by the wolf also in the Belluno area”. But this is not new: in the past General Furlan, as vice president of the Stelvio National Park, had introduced in the area of competence, with excellent results, some subjects of Abruzzese sheep dogs to protect grazing flocks. inside the Park.
Electric fence
Returning to Rocca Pietore, currently the pasture managed by the shepherd Guglielmo Dalmolin has been effectively protected through the use of an electrified fence; but the gradual insertion of four Abruzzese sheep dogs into the flock will allow the breeder to finally sleep peacefully. “The four puppies at the moment do not yet have a name, the breeder will choose those as soon as he has the animals”, concludes Semenzato, “the hope is that Rocca Pietore’s initiative can be an example for many other Belluno breeders struggling with the problem of wolf predation ».