02/11/2021
The story of Queso is woven through so many families in our area. I will tell mine, I hope you will tell me yours!
We met Queso more than 10 years ago. Queso lived on Jannsen's Beefmaster Ranch off Levi Sloan Road. Queso belonged to the ranch hand. He was loved by their family and mostly he spent his days enjoying protecting the cattle.
He would come and grace us with his presence, always happy for a meal or a treat but mostly, he loved to be petted and have his ears scratched. It wasn't hard to fall in love with Queso. He's a gentle giant, and his greeting is usually a loud "Woo, Woo, Woo" not quite a howl, and not a bark either.
I had heard the stories of Queso. How he would disappear for days and would be found lying next to newborn calves. That he would not eat, or drink and not leave the side of the newborns warding off any predators for days. Selfless dog. He had a girlfriend at home apparently, and if we gave him a bone he would run off with it in his mouth and I was told he brought it to her. Dropping it for her to eat.
I experienced his protective nature one afternoon. We're in the country, Queso was lying on the gravel driveway and I was about to walk to my mailbox. About that time, a pit bull that had probably been dumped in the country came at a full run and a growl toward me down our driveway. Before I could react, Queso was in front of me, and he pinned the dog to the ground literally standing over him viciously growling. The dog jumped up and ran off. Queso came trotting back to me. I would not have been able to get to cover had it not been for Queso.
There are other stories that maybe weren't so endearing, like our Pyrenees Bailey having her first heat. The vet told us to spay her after that first heat. She was a year old at the time. We locked her in a large 10 x 10 kennel behind two no climb pasture fences. Queso climbed, dug and chewed his way to get to her. Sigh* Bailey had five puppies. We named them Colby, Jack, Bri, Swiss & Feta. All are guarding livestock to this day, one of them owned by one of our Game Wardens.
Queso was a welcome visitor over the past years. In 2020, the ranch hand moved away to where the loop joins 59 to head to Goliad near Raisin. Queso was gone from our neighborhood. We were all so sad to hear that he was no longer going to come for visits.
Queso was confused, having spent his whole life on Levi Sloan Rd. His job patrolling the cattle pastures from Oliver Road, to Parson's Road had changed and I don't think he knew where he was, but knew it wasn't "home." It quickly became obvious that it wasn't going to be a good situation. Queso immediately began to try to get on the loop and cross and walk in traffic where vehicles were going 75 mph.
In April of 2021 I noticed a post on facebook where a Sherrif had picked up a very familiar dog and I knew who he was. I called the shelter he was at, called the ranch hand and waited for the shelter to open on Monday to be sure. The door to the shelter opened to familiar bounding mountain of white fur and familiar "woo woo woo" when he saw me. The ranch hand asked me to take him home. Queso could not be contained (I was going to learn what that meant) and he kept getting on the highway, probably trying to find his way "home" to the ranch and cattle between Parsons and Oliver Rd.
There was nothing to think about. I took him home, got him all his shots, microchipped, and took him to the vet to be neutered. It was at the vet that I saw the first example of Queso not being contained. He was in a bank of kennels with heavy, I mean heavy gauge metal. He had chewed through the metal. I cannot imagine a dog who could do that. Literally making a hole in the middle of the metal gate.
After being neutered, he had to be lightly sedated for three days to keep him from trying to be free, so that he would heal. There is no fence deep enough in the ground, or tall enough or heavy enough to contain him. It's a fact.
Queso seemed to immediately know where he was. Home. He settled in and while he made his rounds to the cattle, to North Park Estates and all his "other owners", and to Sendero Estates, he comes home every day to lay under the big oaks, or to get love and attention from our grand kids and all of us who love him.
If you see Queso, please don't pick him up. He's just making sure you are safe. He usually roams for about an hour and comes right back home, or takes a nap at one of his other families :) He has too much heart for just one!
Queso frequently has his GPA tracker going too! He's a beloved member of our family, and I know others feel the same way too!
Tell us your Queso story!
