Dumped, Found, Loved on Weise Farms
- Becky Weise
- Aug 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 1
The story of Pepper and Peaches
Last week at Weise Farms we had an unexpected, unforgettable visit that reminded us how small moments of kindness can change lives.
Dustin — our son-in-law, spotted two Australian Cattle Dogs on the side of the country road. One was a blue heeler and the other a red heeler. Somehow, they found their way to where he was working on our property — about a mile away from where he first saw them. They were skin and bones, ribs showing and very dirty. He fed them a whole bag of dog treats from his truck and sent photos so that I could share them on Facebook and alert local shelters.

A Walk on Weise Farms
After I got off work I told Tim I was going for a walk. He was already fussing that we didn’t need any more dogs. I went anyway.
I found them exactly where Dustin had fed them. The sight of them running up to me is one I won’t forget: they wiggled their whole bodies with joy. They jumped up, so excited to be found that the thin old skin on my hand and arm tore and bled. They didn’t mean to hurt me — they were just ecstatic and desperate for affection and very hungry.
Remarkably, they followed me all the way home — almost a mile. By the time we got back, Tim was standing at the gate watching me and the two dogs walking side by side. I could see his opinion was already changing. He was going to be ok, but I promised to do my best to find their owners.
They were a mess: they had ant bites on their bellies, their fur was matted with dirt, and they were full of huge ticks that had burrowed into their skin. I estimate they’re about 6–8 months old — still puppies in so many ways — and both are girls. We came up with something to call them, so the blue heeler is Pepper and the red heeler is Peaches.
Although Tim initially fussed that we didn’t need more dogs (he was right — we didn’t plan for this), but I was already looking to get a Border Collie for when Tim retires, coming up in January. He needs a working companion dog while I am away at work. I guess God thought we needed two heelers instead.
We don’t yet know where they came from — whether they wandered off from a nearby farm, escaped a yard, or had a worse fate before finding us. For now they’re safe and all of their needs are met at Weise Farms. Seeing them up close made us think about how many animals are quietly struggling out here in rural areas, and how a few small acts — a bag of treats, an open gate, a patient walk home — can mean everything. If anyone recognizes these two heelers or knows their owner, please reach out.
It appears these dogs were dumped. Quite a few people shared our social posts, but no one claimed them. The next morning, they were still in our front yard. We both left for work. Around mid-morning our neighbor called to let Tim know she saw them wandering. I just knew we would never see them again. But then we came home and they were both right there under the shade tree. If they wander off in our 300 acre woods and find their way back, then why couldn't they have found their way back to where they used to live? That’s why I am convinced they were dumped.
We took them on a long walk for over a mile to show them the farm. They stayed right by our side except for two occasions, Peaches ran after a rabbit and quickly returned and the other time, she slowly herded cows down the lane. It really makes me mad to think someone could dump animals.
While we didn’t choose them, I am so happy we found them. If no one claims them, Weise Farms will have two new farm hands to help us move cows from pasture to pasture. Over the next few weeks we’ll be working on basic obedience.
On Saturday, we bought collars, bandanas, and leashes for the girls. Before we used those leashes, we bathed them. After a brief tussle, they settled into a sudsy massage and tick-picking session that made them feel wonderful.

They didn’t mind the collars or the bandanas, but they weren’t thrilled about the leashes. After all, they follow us everywhere we go, so they really don’t need a leash—and they’re doing very well with recall. We practiced a lot by patting our leg and saying “here!” But a leash training is important since we’ll be taking them to the vet on Monday, and because we also want to include them when we ride around the farm in the Mule and Truck, we thought it was important for them to learn leash etiquette.

Then we went for a walk using the leashes. It didn’t take long, and they quickly realized the leash wasn’t sooooo bad, especially with lots of praise. We decided not to use treats because these dogs love praise more than anything.
Following all the attention and care, we took them for a ride in the Mule with leashes on, and introduced them to the cows. They didn’t really seem to care about cows, and I hope it was because they were still getting used to new leashes. Since our cows are gentle, we’ll see how they do without a leash another day. We're hopeful their instincts will kick in.

After the Mule ride, we kept finding more ticks. So we dipped them. The fleas were hopping everywhere and we found quite a few more ticks.
Later that day, we noticed how much better they were feeling. They started playing together—Peaches accidentally pawed Pepper’s ear while they were romping, which made Pepper cry out in pain because something in her ear seemed to be really hurting. She started holding her head to the side while she walked. Later we discovered quite a few more ticks and it took both of us, one to hold and pet, and the other to tweezer them out. I’m sure it isn’t pleasant when we pick ticks off of them, but I think they know we are making them feel better.
That evening, they behaved like completely different dogs and you could tell they were feeling better. Peaches is definitely the curious one, not mean, but with prey drive and mischief—she ran after my chickens, and I had to call her off several times. I hope that will help her learn boundaries. Then, Peaches jumped into our raised garden, and Pepper soon followed. A couple of loud reprimands and hopefully they will stop that too.

We’re grateful to everyone who shared the posts to help find Pepper and Peaches original owners. It hurts me to think that someone out there is missing them. But if no one claims them, we will. They'll have a second chance here on Weise Farms. It would be hard to give them up, but if anyone recognizes them or knows where they came from, please let us know. Either way, they’re feeling at home now, loved, and getting vet care. Follow Weise Farms for updates — I have a feeling these two will have a lot of stories of their own before long.

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As a Heeler family in CO....we love your story of Pepper & Peaches. Somehow the good Lord finds a way to support us through life & sounds like you rescued each other. God Bless.