The dog days of summer may seem a long way off, but “Gracie,” the new Bark Ranger at Glacier National Park, is plowing headlong into her new winter job.

"The very popular Bark Ranger spent her summer up at Logan Pass, but now she's down in West Glacier for the winter and she's working with some of the deer that live in this area," said Park Public Information Officer Lauren Alley."Gracie works to move the deer out of residential areas near the Park."

Gracie the Bark Ranger is, of course, a dog. And just happens to be a breed particularly well suited for herding animals.

"Gracie is a Border Collie Bark Ranger and she has been extensively trained by the Wind River Bear Institute to work with wildlife specifically and help them find natural areas that don't have people around. She was specifically trained to work with bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and also deer."

While Gracie is dealing directly with hoofed animals, the hope is that she helps to keep the predators with claws away from human populations too, by forcing their prey into more remote locations.

Gracie is also currently up for an award from the Public Lands Alliance for "Outstanding Public Engagement of the Year." You can vote for her by going here!

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