Five Dogs Abandoned Near Tipton Summit Now All Placed in Homes

All five dogs that were left in the woods near Tipton Summit — roughly 40 miles southwest of Baker City — have been adopted, local volunteers confirmed this week. The animals, discovered in the wake of an abnormally late spring snowstorm in 2024, survived a multi-week rescue and more than a year of rehabilitation before finding permanent homes.

The rescue began April 30, 2024, when a Forest Service employee reported five dogs near Tipton Summit. Search efforts led by retired Forest Service ranger and longtime rescuer Dick Haines recovered three dogs on May 1; two remained hidden until a culvert rescue on May 7, when deputies and volunteers pulled the last animals to safety. Haines recounted the ordeal on Monday, Jan. 5, saying, "It's been a long journey," and reflecting on the uncertain early days of care.

Over the following months and into 2025, trainers and volunteers nursed the dogs back to health. Two were adopted during 2025; the final dog, named Lilly, was adopted recently by a couple in Union County. Three of the animals now live in Baker County and another with a family in McMinnville. Sheriff Travis Ash called the outcome "a great resolution."

Legal action followed the abandonment. Joseph Wallace Berkheimer pleaded guilty June 14, 2024, in Justice Court and was fined and ordered to perform community service. The prosecution and penalty underscore that law enforcement pursued the case to a judicial conclusion, though the community response was decisive in providing care and placement for the animals.

The episode underscores persistent challenges for rural counties: remote geography, seasonal hazards, and limited shelter infrastructure can combine to put animals at risk and place heavy burdens on volunteer networks. New Hope for Eastern Oregon Animals, which will mark its 16th year in February, played a central role; Haines, a volunteer with the nonprofit, said he has helped dozens of dogs over more than 15 years. That continuity of volunteer experience and community willingness to adopt was central to turning a likely tragedy into a successful outcome.

For Baker County residents, the story is both a reassurance and a reminder. Reassuring that coordinated local response — from Forest Service employees to deputies, trainers and nonprofit volunteers — can save lives. It also highlights the need for sustained resources and enforcement mechanisms to deter abandonment and to support the volunteer infrastructure that increasingly carries the workload of animal welfare in rural Oregon.