Animal Response Team Gets First Call Out

Lynn Volkens

1/13/2005 - Thanks to Gilpin County’s Animal Response Team, twelve head of cattle found safe haven on a bitterly cold (only 7 degrees above zero) Friday night. Robert Tieken of Boone, Colorado, was headed home on I-70 from Blackfoot, Idaho, with his wife and toddler daughter. They were bringing eleven cows and one steer back home when the axle on their trailer sheered off at Floyd Hill. It was late in the evening with a weekend coming on. No chance to get the needed parts to fix the trailer. A call went out from Colorado State Patrol to Clear Creek County’s animal control officer, Martin(Marty) Gitlin. Could he help?  Unfortunately, Clear Creek County had no way to transport the animals and no place to keep them. But, thanks to an intergovernmental agreement (entered into just this fall,) Gitlin is animal control officer for both Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties. He notified the Gilpin County Sheriff’s department.

   GCART member Vicki Nemec said the call from Gilpin’s dispatcher came in at 10:30 Friday evening. She and her husband, David Nemec, plus GCART members Norma and Lonnie Tobias and Casey Newman all responded. The Tobiases hitched up their four-horse trailer. While Lonnie and Casey set off for Floyd Hill, Norma and the Nemecs prepared a pen at Gilpin County’s fairgrounds. They got keys to unlock the pens and brought in lights. Finding a working spigot on the exhibit barn took a little while. But once they did, they attach a hose and filled the water trough. Sounds easy enough, but it was late, cold, and their efforts were hampered by large patches of ice, found not by sight but by slipping.

   It took two trips to bring all of the cows to Gilpin’s pens. At least GCART didn’t need to round them up. When they set off, Casey said she pictured twelve cows roaming along the I-70 corridor. “It was dark, and I’m thinking angus (black) cows,” she said. They went equipped with head lamps attached to their hats. However, the animals were still contained in Tieken’s trailer. Once they arrived at Gilpin’s fairgrounds, getting the herd situated was easy. The lead steer, a 2200 pound Holstein giant, is very gentle said Norma. Once he was shown where to go, the rest of the shorthorn herd followed. Even so, GCART members were at it until nearly 4 a.m.

   Caring for the livestock continued throughout the weekend. GCART members brought in three to four bales of hay each day and made sure the water trough was replenished. Cows don’t need high-grade (and expensive) alfalfa, but horses do, and since the Tobiases have horses, alfalfa is what they had on hand. If they had needed to feed the cattle for a longer period, Casey said they would have called on Nederland Feed & Supply. The local store donates animal feed during Gilpin’s fair time and is very generous in donating grain and whatever’s needed at other times, too. The Gilpin Sheriff’s deputies made an extra effort, to drive by and keep an eye on the cattle day and night. On Monday, Robert was still awaiting the parts he needed and repair his trailer. He had notified GCART that he intended to pick up his cattle on Tuesday. 

   GCART members have attended training sessions and meetings of SART (State Animal Response Team) and BULL (Big Useful Livestock Lessons) and a national animal response organization, Code 3. The group began organizing eight months ago and received $5,000.00 in funding from Gilpin County Commissioners this fall. They used the money to purchase radios, halters and other supplies that would be needed for large animal rescues. Vicki Nemec said this was GCART’s first call out as a group. “It was a learning experience,” she said. Norma Tobias agreed. People were very aware of the need for large animal rescue during the recent drought years when wildfire danger was high. But GCART will also handle this kind of non-emergency response. “This was a case involving a small number of animals. Just think what this could be if a barn were to collapse,” Norma offered. GCART members said they know better now what they’ll need to have ready ahead of time. It’s also time to update GCART’s list for folks who have bigger stock trailers and it may be time for GCART to look at establishing some sort of fee schedule for these types of rescues. The group is seeking more members. Anyone who can help is urged to call Vicki Nemec at the County Courthouse, 582-5214.