Finding a Second Chance at Happiness: Bear

At the Alpacas of the Bluegrass farm, the alpacas graze the green pastures and Great Pyrenees watch over them, acting as their protectors.

Bear, who was adopted from the Kentucky Humane Society, is one of the farm’s livestock guardians, and he does just as he was bred to do – protect his flock. His job is to ensure the safety of the alpacas and, of course, enjoy life on the farm in LaGrange, Ky. But life was not always so easy for the sweet canine.

"Bear" came to KHS in the summer 2007, underweight and homeless. The staff and volunteers adored the 95lbs. dog, but the 10-month-old purebred Great Pyrenees was suffering. All who met him could tell that he was becoming disheartened with his sad eyes and resistance to being returned to his kennel. But his luck was about to change.

Susan Swope, who always had grown up with dogs and horses, operates a working farm where Great Pyrenees guard the 35 acres to protect the alpacas from predators. They already had two livestock guardians – “Luke” and “Neon” – but Luke was to retire soon, so they had been considering adding another one to the family and farm.

That’s when Susan met and fell in love with Bear. She was attending the PAUSE FOR PETS fundraising luncheon to support KHS in early June 2007 when she first laid eyes on the large, furry dog. “I met Bear at the stairs before I even walked in,” said Susan, who has 50 alpacas on her farm. “I knew then that I wanted to take him home.”

The Swope family adopted Bear the next day, and he began “job training” under Neon, their five-year-old Great Pyrenees guardian.

 “Bear was such a quick learner,” shared Susan, who also has two German shepherds.

“He exceeded all of our expectations. He’s been a great help and gives us peace of mind when he works overnight on the farm.”

Since coming to the alpaca farm, Bear also has helped birth his first cria (baby alpaca). He still tends to “Penny” and is very protective of the young alpaca. “They really see the alpacas as their babies,” said Susan.


Bear also has gained quite a bit of weight since his adoption – the 17-month-old now weighs in at over 165 pounds! The Swopes say that Bear has a great temperament and loves children. He also likes to play with Neon when they’re not working and romp around with the family’s other pets.

“We were happy to give Bear a home,” said Susan. “He’s such a good boy.”