Broomfield’s Pet for the Ages:
Shep the Turnpike Dog By Megan Mayes
We love our family pets dearly and we have a great appreciation for wild critters in our beautiful mountain state. Could we show the same love to a dirty homeless mutt found at an inconvenient time and place? Almost 70 years ago, Broomfield residents did just that when Shep the Turnpike Dog was adopted by tollbooth workers and cared for by drivers stopping to pay their tolls. He became a familiar and friendly face for many commuters and families passing by, and eventually a well recognized member of both the Broomfield Community and the Colorado Department of Transportation.
In 1950 the Denver-Boulder Turnpike was being built and Broomfield was chosen as an approximate halfway point between the state capital and the growing college town. This toll road is what we now know to be Highway 36. During the construction of the Broomfield toll booths, a stray dog was often seen walking around the site, begging for food from the workers’ lunches. Even after construction was complete, the dog would visit the toll booths, and eventually an attendant was able to befriend him and bring him into the booth. This is the beginning of Shep’s story and his journey to become The Turnpike Dog of Broomfield. Shep was adopted by the toll booth attendants, and named for his shepherdlike appearance. He would keep the attendants company during their long and lonely shifts. Shep also greeted the toll road drivers as they paid their fares. People would look forward to seeing the dog in the booth, and would even stop their cars to take a picture with him on occasion. As his reputation grew, motorists would bring him gifts or make donations to the toll attendants for his food and toys. He was well known and well loved during his time on the turnpike. Shep lived at the toll booth for 14 years, where he grew from a puppy to a dog. As he aged, Clyde Brunner donated his veterinary expertise to care for Shep. In 1964, Shep was put to sleep. He was buried near the toll booth, and local vendors supplied two headstones and fencing to mark his grave. He was remembered as “part shepherd, mostly affection.” For years to come, Broomfield residents would visit him there and decorate his burial site with flags, flowers, and toys. Shep could be seen there even when the toll booths were gone and the turnpike became a busy highway.
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Our Broomfield™ Magazine | November 2020
Charlotte Havey was touched by Shep’s story while filming a documentary about Broomfield’s 50th anniversary. She decided to share the story of canine and community with children through a picture book called “Shep the Turnpike Dog.” The love of the Broomfield residents for a stray dog is at the core of Shep’s story. Among them she recalled, “One day, a driver gave a can of dog food to the toll booth operator who thanked the driver but admitted he didn’t have a can opener. The next day the same driver gifted an opener!” Charlotte used her book to show us how the unconditional love of a dog can bring out the best qualities in the humans that receive it. When construction began on the Wadsworth interchange, it was time to bring Shep to a safe and accessible final resting place. His grave and original headstones can now be found at Zang Spur Park next to the Broomfield Depot Museum. Many pet owners and furry friends still visit Shep to remember the legacy of Broomfield’s first celebrity.
