A few weeks ago, one of our partner rescue groups assisted us in the rescue of several litters of wolf dog puppies from a property in the mountains of Southern California. The breeder/owner was unable to further care for the animals, and our rescue organizations were asked to step in to help. Upon arrival at the property – where mid-content wolf dogs were being bred for sale – the team discovered four litters of puppies of various ages as well as several adults, over 20 animals in all, and all in need of care and placement.
Predator Healing Project has fostered nine of these pups (out of 15 who arrived at our door at 11:30 at night on a Friday!), and all of the puppies have received vaccinations, exams, deworming, microchips and diagnostics to check for infectious diseases and parasites.
This puppy is about 6 wks old. Even though she is really adorable – as we are sure you will agree! – this pup is going to be a very big dog with unique needs for lifetime care. Wolf dogs, even low to mid-content ones like this puppy, do not make good pets. They are frequently crossed with breeds like German Shepherd Dog, Malamute, and Husky dogs, all of which are high energy working animals who require steady training, exercise and room to move. The wolf DNA means that these animals may develop into adults with challenging personalities, not suited to life in an apartment or city living. When stressed or challenged, they may exhibit wolf-life behavior and often end up being placed in shelters or abandoned for aggression. So, as cute as these babies might be, the breeding of hybrids is bad for the animal in the long-run. Asking them to choose between being a wolf and being a dog and demanding that they overcome 15000 years of differences in evolution and domestication is just not fair to the animal.
Predator Healing Project is grateful to our sister rescue groups (@apexprotectionproject, @planbforwolves, @WOLFcolorado, and @rebornanimalrefuge) for helping to rescue, care for, and place these animals! Cooperation and goodwill among rescue groups is so important in helping all the animals that need care out there – it is good for all of us to work together and with good will. We are proud of our friendships and the good work of our colleagues and grateful for their efforts on behalf of the animals.
These kiddos are on their way to new homes this weekend! We are grateful to one of our partner rescue groups in Colorado for bringing them home. We are transporting them, van full of pups and poop and food, air-conditioned and driving straight through, so these kids can get to big enclosures and start to build a life as a pack.
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