Herd Mentality

Every other Saturday, at various pet stores in Bend and Redmond, the nonprofit Herding Dog Rescue of Central Oregon hosts adoption events, inviting the public to come meet the herding dogs available for fostering or adoption.

At a recent event at Local Paws in Redmond, HDRCO President Jessi Harrison was joined by dog trainer Ali Ramsey and volunteers Beth Gallup and Cat Addison, along with herding dogs Briar and Turbo.

“These dogs don’t do well in shelters; they’re too sensitive,” Harrison tells a visitor.

Dog trainer Ali Ramsey holds her foster herding dog, Turbo, who came from the Dirt World homeless encampment north of Bend.
Credit: Richard Sitts

Ramsey said that helping rehome herding dogs was right up her alley. “I love to give back. Turbo is my foster.”

While packing up near the end of the three-hour event, Gallup talked about what she gets out of volunteering with the rescue. “Seeing the happy faces . . . both the adopters and the dogs,” she said, adding that the group is always recruiting more volunteers. “The reward I get is knowing that the dog is going to a good home,” she added.

Gallup then started to tear up, relating that it had been a “tough week.” Nine out of 10 puppies had succumbed to parvo after being taken away from their mother too soon. Addison said she had lost a dog and then decided not to get another for a while. “So then I met Jessi and she suggested I foster. It gives me a lot of purpose. It’s hard because sometimes you get really attached. I’d take five dogs if I could.” She said she’s been working with the group for a couple of years now.

One thing’s certain: Harrison and the other volunteers clearly enjoy and get satisfaction from their efforts. Harrison co-founded HDRCO with Tammy Leicht in May of 2023. Leicht died from cancer about a year ago.

Harrison wrote a memorial to Leicht on the group’s website:

“Tammy and I shared a dream, a promise to save as many dogs, especially herding dogs, as we could. We started HDRCO with this vision, believing we could make a real difference in the lives of these animals and the families who would give them a home. We didn’t just want to find any home; we wanted the RIGHT homes. Tammy had an extraordinary gift for matching dogs with the people who needed them most. She wasn’t just good at this — she was brilliant, and her heart was as big as her impact. And through all her tireless work, she helped to build something that I continue today with her by my side in spirit.”

The group’s goal is to get the dogs into foster homes and then eventually adopted to the right family or individual. “We really work hard on matching the dogs with a person,” Harrison says. “They need movement and exercise. They’re not going to do well if left home alone all day. They’re extremely intelligent.” There are 30-40 different breeds of herding dogs, according to Harrison.

Harrison was raised in Tillamook, “growing up with any animal I was allowed to have,” according to her bio on the website. She found her first rescue on a 20-below-zero day near a dumpster in Anchorage, Alaska, where she lived the second part of her life. She started her first dog pack, all rescues, some from shelters and others from people who just didn’t want them anymore. Moving back to Oregon for the third part of her life, she’s found a few acres, “a place for all kinds of animals.” With six dogs of her own, her pack can sometimes number up to 14, depending on how many fosters she has at the time. She has worked at Bend Veterinary Clinic for nearly 10 years.

Herding dogs do require special attention and room to roam. It’s preferable if prospective adopters own their own homes and have a fenced-in yard, she says.

To check them out, drop in on one of the foster/adoption events and meet the dogs in person. Or take a look at the dogs on the website: hdrescueoregon.com.

Upcoming foster/adoption events:
March 21 -- Bend Pet Express East, 11am-2pm
April 11 -- Local Paws in Redmond, 11am-2pm
April 25 -- Mud Bay North in Bend, 11am-2pm
May 9 -- Bend Pet Express East, 11am-2pm

This article appears in Central Oregon Pets Spring 2026.