CE 1998 SIN
March 2011
An Honourable Life Brenda Schoepp
Life on the farm is a great teacher. We learn about care and compassion for livestock, birth and death, the value of sun, rain and the growth of plants, of teamwork and the importance of being in a constant state of preparedness. We appreciate our family and friends both human and animal – those souls that are by our side day in and day out, as we seed, birth, harvest and feed. The role of the stock dog in our world is vital for livestock operations as they are the extra set of legs and often the needed gate in our daily chores. They are companions and fellow workers, protectors of our home and children and the 5am alarm. In short, they are often family members who live alongside a growing team. Our working dog, Emma, was no exception. For 15 years, this Australian shepherd dynamo worked at my side. She never let cattle through an open gate, missed a heifer in the field, talked back, missed a child’s birthday party or called it quits even after hours of work. She could calmly sit in a pen of 500 heard of cattle and wait for instruction while having zero tolerance for an animal on the wrong side of the fence. She never left home. She was never bitter or unhappy and was always compassionate to our needs. She was sad if we went away and smiling when we came back. She kissed babies and ran off shifty strangers, climbed ladders and snuggled under covers, rode in pickups and on saddle horses. She was a lady and a trusted friend at all times.