For 45 days, one sheep managed to stay ahead of almost everyone trying to catch her.
She wandered around Wadsworth, Ohio, appearing near roads, neighborhoods and fields before disappearing again.
Residents reported sightings.
Volunteers searched.
Police became involved.
Rescuers tried food.
They tried other animals.
They even used drones.
Nothing worked.
Then a teenage rider and her horse entered the search.
A few hours later, the sheep’s 45-day run was finally over.
The sheep became a local mystery
The American Blackbelly sheep had been roaming around the Wadsworth area for weeks.
Nobody seemed to know exactly where she had come from.
Rebecca Roxberry and Janine Smalley of Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary became involved after reports began coming in from local residents.
The animal was difficult to approach.
Each time rescuers thought they were getting close, she would move again.
At one point, volunteers tried using another sheep and a goat to lure her.
They also tried food.
The sheep ran away.
The Medina County Sheriff’s Office, Wadsworth Police Department and other volunteers joined the effort, while drones were used to help track her movements.
Still, she remained free.
The rescue became a community effort
The sheep’s disappearance eventually became a local social-media story.
A Facebook event called “Catching the Wadsworth Sheep” was created so residents could report sightings and help rescuers follow her movements.
People began watching fields and roadsides.
One homeowner kept in regular contact with rescuers after spotting the sheep near her property.
By November 11, volunteers had managed to narrow down her location near U.S. Route 224.
That was when Reagan Crumpler and her horse, Catalena, joined the effort.
One horse and one rope finally ended the chase
Crumpler was already learning roping skills and rode Catalena, an experienced horse.
Catching the sheep was still far from easy.
The chase lasted for hours.
Every time Reagan approached, the sheep turned away.
The teenager later recalled encouraging her horse to keep going.
Eventually, Catalena got ahead of the sheep.
Reagan finally had the opening she needed.
She threw the rope.
This time, it worked.
After 45 days on the loose, the sheep had been caught.
The sheep finally reached safety
The animal was taken to Whispering Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Rescuers named her Gerri Reagan in honor of the teenager who helped catch her.
She was described as slightly underweight after her time on the loose, and sanctuary staff planned a careful feeding program and veterinary examination to check for injuries or parasites.
If no legal owner comes forward, the sanctuary has said she can remain there permanently.
The town finally stopped searching
For weeks, the sheep had managed to avoid almost every attempt to bring her to safety.
Police could not catch her.
Food could not tempt her.
Other animals could not lure her.
Even a drone could only help rescuers follow her.
In the end, it came down to one teenager, one horse and a rope.
After 45 days of sightings, failed attempts and people scanning fields across Wadsworth, the search was finally over.
And the sheep that had kept an entire community busy was safe.
