Sanctuary Spotlight: WOLF Sanctuary

Wolves are a nuisance and should be shot. Wolves should be bred to be pets. Wolves have beautiful fur, let's take it from them. Just a few of the many ways wolves are mistreated by humans. Why dogs are beloved and wolves are not is beyond me! Now, I had never met a wolf before but had been looking forward to this visit since I had left NYC back March 1st.

WOLF holds 29 wolf dogs at their sanctuary roughly 45 minutes into a section of the Colorado Rockies. This is a forever home for these amazing animals and they are taken care of by a wonderful staff and many volunteers. Some of the residents were rescued from a fur farm but many of the wolves are actually rescued by breeders; people that believe that a wolf dog would be a wonderful pet. Not understanding that even a small percentage can make the dog too wild and unpredictable. Michelle, the sanctuary director, explained it in a perfect way. Imagine putting half a cat brain and half a dog brain into one animal. The breeding of a wolf and a dog is cruel in itself because the animal is confused and does not know how to act; being torn between it's domesticated and wild instincts.

One of the most effective ways to stop the breeding of wolves as pets is, of course, education. WOLF has what they call ambassador animals; the wolf dogs that are the most predictable and people friendly. At little to no charge, they will bring the wolf to the school as part of an educational program. Teaching them about wolves and why they should remain in the wild and do not belong in the home. As explained previously, I assisted on one of these days with a wolf dog called Outlaw. Their protocol during these events was very impressive. Keeping the wolf dogs free, they do not restrict or guide him in any direction. They tie a leash around their waist as a precaution but allow him to go where he wishes within the allowed areas. With this, the new generation will hopefully have more respect for wolves to preserve them in the wild in the future.

WOLF has big plans for the future with a new location in mind which would allow for expansion and the ability to have more volunteers. Time is a factor, however, with a down payment being needed asap before the location is lost. Please consider visiting their site at http://wolfsanctuary.co/ and make a donation! As I had mentioned in a previous posting, caring for wildlife and receiving donations is harder than when it is for domestic animals. I was very inspired while at WOLF and they are a very good cause!