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ALPACA PARADISE: Social animals provide friendship

Anne Dockendorf, with Tinkerbell, one of her beloved alpacas at a ranch just outside Creswell. She randomly stumbled across the animals years ago during a festival in California. Now she and husband Mike have more than 25 in their livestock operation. BRADLEY COOK/FLASHBOX STUDIO

Howard Thurman, a world-renowned early 20th Century author, thought leader and civil rights pioneer, likely never saw an alpaca. But his words, published above and posted on the Aragon Alpacas website, have inspired Anne and Mike Dockendorf. 

The couple first encountered alpacas by happenstance on a weekend drive and were immediately smitten. Anne and Mike followed their passions and came to Oregon from California in 2007, finding a home for themselves, and a robust business breeding and boarding alpacas. 

Alpacas, which look like no-hump camels, are known for their friendly, outgoing personalities. BRADLEY COOK/FLASHBOX STUDIO

Even though Aragon Alpacas, 33005 Dillard Rd., has been operating on the outskirts of Creswell and is known for high-quality business – many area residents and the public at large still have only a vague idea what, exactly, alpacas are. 

But Thurman’s quote makes the Dockendorfs’ mission clear: Go for it! 

Anne is the daughter of an east Texas veterinarian, and grew up with a deep, abiding love for all animals. The alpaca herd is a natural outgrowth of that upbringing.  

They began volunteering on ranches in the area, and in 2005 bought their first alpaca. That evolved into boarding their own, ever-growing herd at area ranches near their home in California. They eventually relocated near Creswell, where they could tend and nurture their alpacas on their own land.

“It’s my passion,” Anne said. “I just enjoy the animals so much; they’re very intuitive and peaceful.” And low-maintenance, she said. “They don’t like to get up early. I let the girls go out and graze, then the boys get to do the same in the afternoon. They are very rarely ill and all of my trees are trimmed at the 5-foot level. They are very eco-friendly animals.”

BRADLEY COOK/FLASHBOX STUDIO

They found a property with plenty of acreage for grazing and growing hay, that included a classic red gambrel barn and a farmhouse built in the late 1800s, currently undergoing extensive renovation.The remodeling and restoring is necessary, and the rolling hills and views are timeless.

Mike, an avid vintner, has managed to also carve out acres to grow grapes.

Alpacas are camelids and look like small llamas or long-necked camels without humps, especially in the spring after they have had their annual shearing. They have shaggy necks and camel-like faces with thick lips, pronounced noses, and long ears.

Easily domesticated, friendly, gentle and curious, they originally were exported from Peru in the mid-1980s and have become a popular livestock choice. 

BRADLEY COOK/FLASHBOX STUDIO

Each alpaca born in the U.S. is blood-typed and registered at birth. This practice supports not only high standards, but healthy animals.

Aragon and other ranches are focused on “best practices” for growing the finest alpaca fiber in the world.

Aragon Alpacas is often visited by area schools, and is a favorite location for many of our local Plein Air artists who focus on outdoor settings to inspire their art. 

MEET THE GANG

When I first visited Aragon Alpacas many years ago, I was intrigued by the interesting names assigned to each member of the herd and recently asked Anne for background on how their names are chosen.

– Yaakov Levine

BRADLEY COOK/FLASHBOX STUDIO

Sundancer, a light golden male “named for the sailboat we sold so we could move to this farm.”

Ladyhawke, “the first cria born here on our farm, she had wing-like markings on her cheeks. The last birth that year was a black male we named Navarre, the black knight in the Ladyhawke movie. Dawn and dusk.”

Ladyhawke’s Feather, “just because.”

Sonnet of Shakespeare, “her sire’s name.”

Bubinga, “an exotic wood from Africa. His parents are Kalahari and Disa – red African lily.”

Smuggler, whose mom was “a tall, elegant dam who hardly looked pregnant, so it seemed as though she’d smuggled him on board.”

Cadence “is maroon and white, Texas A&M University’s colors. Alma mater for my dad and me.”

Silhouette “was delivered by our vet along the roadside of the Harrisburg exit. We’d rushed the laboring dam up there to meet him halfway from Corvallis, needing assistance. It was our Oldsmobile Silhouette van and she is colored identically to her mom, Sonnet.”

Sulaymon, “the first white alpaca born to us. It’s the Arabic version of Solomon, meaning peace.”

Tripoli, “born on Mike and my common birthday.”

Carrera’s sire “was Bentley, so Bentley’s Carrera.”

Aymara, “the native people of the Andes. She was 7/8ths Peruvian, per her registration certificate.”

Juliaca, “a city in Peru.”

Tondero, “a Peruvian folk dance.”

Charango, “a Peruvian stringed instrument made from an armadillo shell.”

Ruana, “a woolen cape.”

Raisa, “Hebrew for rose. A rose-gray girl born during Yom Kippur, with mutual friends Cindy and Elissa in attendance.”

Catalina, “the first cria born of the pairing of two alpacas born to us – Orion + Sable.” Catalina d’Aragon, from “Catherine of Aragon”

Valrhona, “dark brown female out of two gray parents; named for the dark chocolate at Trader Joe’s.”

BRADLEY COOK/FLASHBOX STUDIO

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