2 Utah women plead no contest to taking rancher's dog

LOGAN — Two Utah woman charged with taking a herd dog from a rancher's property have entered pleas of abeyance in the case.

Shelly Dawn Rovira, 62, of West Haven, and Sarah Later, 46, of Bountiful, each pleaded no contest in Logan's 1st District Court last month to a reduced count of wrongful appropriation, a class A misdemeanor.

In exchange for the pleas, three other charges against them were dismissed: theft by receiving stolen property and obstructing justice, third-degree felonies; and criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor.

The cases will be dismissed in one year if the women meet the conditions of the plea deal — including paying $7,003 in restitution to rancher Lane — and committing no crimes.

In a statement, friends Rovira and Later said it was a business decision to plead no contest. They said they have spent more than $115,000 in legal fees so far in the case and decided it made more sense to settle the matter by paying the restitution.

On May 26, 2020, Jensen reported to the Cache County Sheriff's Office that his dog Fergie had been taken from his property near Avon two days prior, and that Rovira had been posting about the dog, calling it "Grace" on social media.

Posts from a Facebook page called "Save Momma Dog the Great Pyrenees — 'Grace'" show photos of a dog being "rescued" with what Jensen said was his property and corral in the background, according to an arrest warrant. Rovira had been looking for Grace for five months following reports that the dog had run away after it was found stranded near Pineview Reservoir with three puppies.

Jensen showed police texts between him and Rovira from May 25, 2020, where he told her she had his dog, and she denied it, according to the warrant.

Police called Rovira on May 27, 2020, and she admitted to going on the property and taking the dog, according to the warrant. She told police she bought the dog from an employee on the lot, but she also said the employee was not around when she found and took the dog, the warrant states.

The next day, police interviewed the employee, who did not speak much English, and said two women, later identified as Rovira and Later, approached him May 24, 2020. He told police he couldn't understand what the women were saying, but they showed him a picture of a dog and held up two fingers.

The employee told police he went to herd sheep, leaving behind his backpack. When he came back, he found $400 tucked in a shoe in his backpack, according to the warrant. The sheep dog was gone, and so were the women, he told police. He denied knowledge of any sale agreement.

Police interviewed Later, who said she was with Rovira and confirmed the employee was not around when they took the dog.

"Sarah would not provide any information as to where the dog was or how to get it returned to the owner," the warrant says. "Sarah said she would rather be arrested than give up the dog."

Searching for Grace

On Dec. 1, 2019, two snowmobilers, Kat Perry and her boyfriend, discovered three Great Pyrenees puppies and their mother stranded in the Ant Flat area east of Pineview Reservoir. The snowmobilers called for help to save the dogs, prompting county search and rescuers to bring a sled and carry the puppies to safety.

But the mother dog, Grace, ran away. Rovira had been looking for the dog since then when Jensen accused her of taking Fergie.

Perry later said the dog Rovira posted about was not Grace because the dog's head was too small, and she was taller and lankier than Grace. Jensen also pointed out his dog is an Akbash, not a Great Pyrenees, and that Grace was originally found nearly 40 miles away from his property.

Rovira said she spent thousands of her own dollars searching for Grace, in addition using money from a fund that had been set up to help cover search costs. "Why? Because a true animal rescuer does not take puppies from a mother and leave the mother behind," Rovira said.

Rovira said the dog was carried down from the mountain and taken to veterinarian in Layton and was immediately hospitalized for malnutrition and other health issues. She said she also paid almost $1,200 of her own money for that vet bill.

The Jensens had filed a civil lawsuit against Rovira and Later. The statement from the women said the lawsuit was dropped after the two of them hired an attorney to file a countersuit.

An ongoing problem

Jensen told KSL-TV in 2021 he had three dogs taken from him at that point, and had to start micro-chipping them. One of his dogs ended up all the way in Montana.

The Utah Department of Agriculture said at the time that 11 working dogs were taken from ranchers in 2021.

Jensen said herd dogs are an integral part of his livelihood, as they guard sheep from predators.

"I think, in general, people want to think they're doing help," Jensen said. "However, I would suggest, if they see a dog they think is lost or abandoned ... get the information on where they are and what the dog looks like and call law enforcement."

Still looking for Fergie

Jensen's sister, Ann Jensen, said Saturday that Fergie has yet to be returned.

"We've spent the last three years worried about Fergie's welfare," Ann Jensen said. "Rovira and Later weren't required to reveal her location as part of their plea deal, so, sadly, we're still missing our dog."

She asks that people continue to keep an eye out for Fergie and send the Jensen family any leads they may find.

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