ENTERPRISE — An attorney for the Bob Dean Oregon Ranches is disputing the circumstances by which former ranch manager B.J. Warnock left his job there, saying Warnock’s departure was a “dismissal.”

Attorney J. Logan Joseph, of the Joseph Law Firm, La Grande, confirmed in an email that Katie Romero, who comes from New Mexico, according to her website, is the new manager “of all Dean family cattle operations in Wallowa County,” and said that Warnock’s “dismissal” was “on or about Jan. 17 of this year.”

Warnock has not returned a request for clarification on the matter.

Romero has stated that her boss, Bob Dean’s wife, Karen Dean, has forbidden her from speaking to the press. Bob Dean is suffering mental trauma following a surgery in June, Karen Dean said in early January, so she is speaking for him.

Joseph said he knows nothing of Wallowa County Sheriff Joel Fish’s investigation for possible animal neglect other than the investigation is ongoing.

Fish confirmed on Monday, Jan. 31, that he is still investigating.

The case involves hundreds of cattle that were trapped in heavy snows in the Upper Imnaha area and the cows were unable to get themselves or their calves to safety. It is believed at least two dozen mother cows died, some of which “literally ‘milked themselves to death,’ in an attempt to provide for their calves,” Wallowa County Stockgrowers President Tom Birkmaier said Jan. 19.

Numerous rescued calves were taken in by area ranchers and cared for. It is still uncertain how many cattle were involved, but Warnock originally said there were more than 1,500 on summer pasture that they were trying to bring out last fall.

Birkmaier and others rallied fellow ranchers to try to rescue the cows and calves beginning in late December. The effort included taking hay to the animals by snowmobile or dropping it by helicopter. It also included bringing cattle out on a trailer pulled by a tracked vehicle that was able to get to the animals after private and public efforts to open backcountry roads.

Joseph added in his email the Dean family’s appreciation for the help of locals in rescuing the cattle and calves.

“The Dean family would like to thank all of the local ranchers and any other persons that assisted in the location and retrieval of these cattle,” the attorney wrote. “It is truly encouraging to see a community come together in such a fashion under such circumstances.”