Farmers and ranchers in the heartland are facing cattle rustlers who use high tech equipment and old time stealth to get away with livestock.



Western United Dairymen member Margo Souza was among cattle producers profiled in "Rounding Up Rustlers" broadcast on America's Heartland on PBS. Margo Souza at the Circle H Dairy Ranch estimates, "I'd say the cost was around 300 to 400,000 dollars." She knows all too well what kind of impact cattle theft can have on the bottom line. In 2006 nearly 200 dairy cows were stolen from her farm. The theft at the Circle H Dairy Ranch was an inside job. The herdsman responsible for overseeing the cattle was actually stealing and selling them. Margo explains, "He was selling the cattle to people he knew. They were stealing cows and selling them, trading the animals. You know he'd have people in here making deals."