Upstream | December 27, 2011 | 22 comments

29 Wolf Dogs Chained to Posts for Years Are Now in a Sanctuary

source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wolf-dogs-20111227,0,6218882.story

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EthicalVegan
Los Angeles Times...

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Los Padres sanctuary goes to the rescue of wolf dogs

29 animals are seized from an Anchorage attraction accused of possessing them illegally. 'It was heartbreaking to see,' one of the rescuers said.

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PHOTO:
Matthew Simmons is greeted by one of the 29 wolf dogs rescued from a roadside attraction near Anchorage and brought to the Lockwood Valley Animal Rescue Center in the Los Padres National Forest. "Overall, they honestly seem to understand that this is a better environment than where they came from," said Simmons.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times / December 22, 2011)

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By Louis Sahagun, Los Angeles Times

December 27, 2011

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Chained to posts on a half-acre lot, the 29 wolf dogs languished for years behind stockade fencing at a roadside attraction near Anchorage.

The wolf hybrids were unable to touch one another except when they were bred through chain-link fences. Several had sore backs and legs because they had never been able to move more than a few yards at a time.

The animals were seized by Alaskan authorities as evidence in an ongoing criminal investigation and scheduled for destruction before the Lockwood Valley Animal Rescue Center intervened. The center had the wolf dogs spayed and neutered, then transported by plane and truck to its sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest, about 90 miles north of Los Angeles.

They arrived at the 20-acre sanctuary Dec. 12 and will live the rest of their lives unchained, in sprawling enclosures and networks of wire holding pens.

Striding toward a pen shaded by scrub oaks and pine trees, Lori Lindner, co-founder and president of the nonprofit sanctuary, introduced visitors on Thursday to members of her new "packs": a black female with dark honey-colored eyes featured in Sean Penn's 2007 film, "Into the Wild," and a large male that fathered seven of the rescued wolf dogs.

Lindner, 46, recalled with a sigh arriving at the Wolf Country USA attraction in Anchorage earlier in the month to begin preparing the animals for the long trip to California.

"It was heartbreaking to see so many of these animals on chains," she said. "Wolf dogs are products of human vanity and machismo."

The trouble is that crossing wolves, which have been bred by nature for millions of years to be wild, with dogs, which have been genetically manipulated for thousands of years to serve humans, creates a conflict of innate behaviors. As a result, they are often chained up or given away, turned loose or killed, or they escape and are shot or poisoned.

In a 2½-acre enclosure dubbed "wolf mansion," Lindner's husband, Matthew Simmons, called out to six juvenile wolf dogs that were adjusting to a measure of freedom.

"No more pain," said Simmons, 38. "They're getting along amazing well, although there have been a few tussles in which one girl pushed another girl around. But overall, they honestly seem to understand that this is a better environment than where they came from."

The Humane Society of the United States has taken a hard stand against wolf dogs as unpredictable, destructive and rarely trainable. At least 16 states ban them, and California and 20 other states have restrictions on ownership. Alaska prohibits ownership of wolves or wolf dogs unless they are spayed or neutered, fitted with microchips and registered with state authorities.

Lindner and Simmons were alerted by sanctuary accreditation officials that Wolf Country USA was under investigation, accused of illegal possession of wolf dogs. The zoo-like attraction boasted "the largest wolf pack in Alaska" and charged $5 to walk along a path close enough to the animals to take snapshots and, in certain cases, pet one.

"We flew to Alaska and met with the assistant attorney general," Simmons said. "He told us that the state had no place to keep them, and if we didn't take them he was going to dispatch state troopers to shoot them and toss them into a freezer until the court battle with Wolf Country USA was resolved."

In a telephone interview, Werner Shuster, owner of Wolf Country USA, denied that the wolf dogs had been mistreated or that he had broken the law.

"We raised them since they were pups, each one had 12 to 15 feet of space and they were the healthiest animals on the planet," said Shuster, 82. "They do better on chains. That way they don't fight, and people can pet them."

Money to take the wolf dogs to the sanctuary came from a $5,000 donation from the Humane Society and a "very, very large donation" from Bob Barker, who hosted the TV game show "The Price is Right" for 35 years, Simmons said.

Because of their histories, size, strength and often unstable temperaments, the wolf dogs need lots of care. The nonprofit International Fund for Animal Welfare donated $43,000 to construct nine new enclosures with 10-foot-high fencing.

The sanctuary needs $3,000 a month for maintenance and about $350 a day for raw meat, day-old products bought from local grocery stores at a discount. It is also negotiating the purchase of a nearby 180-acre property that would be devoted to dozens more rescued wolf dogs and wolves. "We need $250,000 for a down payment on the property," Simmons said.

To help reduce the costs of the operation, which already housed 20 rescued wolf dogs, the sanctuary launched Warriors and Wolves, a program designed to pair wolf dogs with combat veterans volunteering there to try to overcome physical injuries and lingering anxieties.

Stanley McDonald, 48, who was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder after he returned from the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, is among veterans who have become full-time volunteer ranch hands at the sanctuary.

Stepping through the gate of an enclosure where three wolf dogs paced warily, McDonald said, "I see a lot of myself in these animals. Like them, I was lost and troubled until I came here. Now, there's a lot of healing going on."


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22 comments // 29 Wolf Dogs Chained to Posts for Years Are Now in a Sanctuary

  • JackLondon
    • 0
      JackLondon  

    • What a great service allows both men and dogs to get their peace and tranquility back. I always thought man made institutions about mental hospitals were so much bureaucratic junk and not realistic. This is the natural and right way to go with the grain of a mans psyche. Read Dean Koontz's story about his dog Trixie and what a great impact that dog had on Dean and his wife. I like to go to San Diego several times a year to go to Sea World, the Zoo, and Wild Animal Park its so rejuvenating. Keep up the good work!!!

    • 5 months ago
  • viking777
    • 0
      viking777  
    • Image

    • I owned Wolf hybrids in California for over 15 years (two 80/20s and a 98%). Two are pictured here but have since passed a few years ago. In fact my 98% hybrid came from Wolf Country USA, that looked almost exactly like the one in the photo of the article. So I am very familiar with this location. They were breeders and shipped wolf hybrids and full wolves all over the world for over 20 years so this location is nothing new and was not unknown to the Alaskan Government. They had to have an "education" licenses to own these wolves, this is the only way you can own wolves in that State. Yes it was sad their animals were on chains but that is not the norm with all the other Hybrid owners I know. But the owners of Wolf Country USA did love the animals, just didn't provide a proper area for them to roam. So don't bash hybrids owners in general if you have no experience with these animals. This article is full bull sh_t about ownership. All hybrid breeders that I know will take back any animal they sell if the owners don't adjust to the personality of these animals and most breeders have an interview process to fully explain the breed and often inspect containment areas. My friends with my wolves litter mates sold over 40 pups and only 1 came back and it quickly adjusted to a new home.

      Mine were wonderful, intelligent animals that were part of my family. Roamed freely on my half acre containment area and yes they are not a dog, they have to be handled differently. Are not trainable per say as far as playing catch, more likely they want to be chased once they get the ball and will take tools and such when you are working outside as "chase" is an important game for learning to hunt so is instinctive to them. They will sit as you put their food out and are very emotional yet independent. That is what I liked about their personality, you couldn't dominate them, you had to earn the Alpha position. I would never own any other breed. And this isn't about being macho, as some say. If you like the personality and independence of a cat but the playfulness of a dog, than these animals can be a good fit. My animals were very passive when I took them to the vet or outside of our yard and respected other dogs. In fact most of the time it was the domestic dogs barking at my animals (hi-percent wolves don't bark, only growl and howl) and mine sat passively and quiet.

      So if you ever want to own one of these animals I would start out with an 80 percent wolf first to get a taste of the breed before you move into a high percent wolf, the extra 15-18 percent does make a difference. They can live inside but they do prefer a large outside area to "trot" as wolves in the wild can travel 20 miles per day so their metabolism is very high. Own at least two or one in addition to a large domestic dog and let them grow up with the domestic dog so they can play and bond. If you have only one it needs to live indoors with the family because they are very emotional and do not like to be an only dog living outside by themselves (they are a pack animal).

    • 5 months ago
  • Luna2na
    • 0
      Luna2na  
    • viking777:

      So you advocate such inhumane practices because... your friends do this too? ...or you had a good experience with your hybrids so it must the case for most? Do you have any idea how many of these animals escape from their new homes and become members of feral packs who end up being mistaken for actual wild wolves when they get into trouble? And just how many are treated properly after they are sold? There is no valid excuse for this practice, no matter how big the "rope limit" is.

    • 5 months ago
  • Luna2na
  • viking777
    • 0
      viking777  
    • Luna2na:

      Luna2na:

      Where did I advocate anything about mistreatment of animals? Wolf Country USA had theirs on chains and I said that was sad; all the other hybrid owners I know have them roam in their containment area (most in the thousands of dollars like mine). But walk your neighborhood Luna, there are way to many owners of domestic dogs that live a life on a chain, probably 29 in your own neighborhood. You don't have to pick on a breed because of bad owners. I know many hybrid owners, well over 50, and none live on a chain, they are treated like a family member. I know too many domestic dog owners that do have their pets on chains. Like you said no chain is a good chain and I agree, but it isn't the breeds fault, they didn't put the collar on.

      As far as hybrids escaping, and joining feral packs? Ha, I can see you read too many of these crazy anti-wolf writers, with no studies or research to back it up. That is okay, wolf-hatred/prejudice has been going on for hundreds of years in this country, that is why they only live wild in about 4 states in the US; and were on the endangered list up until a few years ago. All hybrid owners need to know this going in, the prejudice against these animals goes very high. Like the unwillingness of the FDA to certify rabies shots for wolves and hybrids (although it is the same shot used on cats, skunks, cows, horses, etc) and the domestic dog's DNA and makeup is almost identically the same. Heck wolves are the root of all domestic breeds. As a result too many hybrid (and suspected hybrids) are killed as a result of a bite. Dog catchers pull brain tissue which requires euthanizing for rabies tests yet no documented case exists for a properly vaccinated hybrid or wolf every contracting rabies.. they are just unwilling to test 250 animals in a study. Hence my animals were constantly in my control; to keep society from targeting them, not the other way around.

      Feral packs are made up of all kinds of domestic dogs, big and small (although the big and small don't last long with the limited food and distance traveled in a day so most are mid-sized dogs). I have seen poodles in Feral packs, so I guess poodle ownership should be questioned too? Feral packs form out of the survival instincts of animals from bad owners that have dumped their animals, few are from escapes. And when you spend over $1,000 on an animal and it is part of your family you tend to go find it. Feral packs are not a problem of a single breed or even dominated by a specific breed, they are a result of lazy owners that won't drop off their unwanted pet at a dog pound; so they drive out of town and open the car door.

      Funny thing is if you let all those feral animals interbreed; the resulting animal looks much like a wolf. Reverse evolution of domestication and interbreeding of sub-breeds that came from the wolf.

      On to the macho statement about owners of hybrids and creators of the breed. Well that can be said of most large breed dog owners of say Bullmastiff, Rottweiler, German Shepard, Doberman, Huskys, Labs, etc. So I guess all those owners need to trade those family pets in for what a Poodle? Maybe a Pomeranian? I know as many women owners of hybrids as I do men so you have to do a little research on that statement as well. So take your macho breed statement to the Intercity Pit Bull owners crowd where you might find a few more statistics to back up your prejudice. A note from an article I read "The most horrifying example of the lack of breed predictability is the October 2000 death of a 6-week-old baby, which was killed by her family's Pomeranian dog. The average weight of a Pomeranian is about 4 pounds, and they are not thought of as a dangerous breed. Note, however, that they were bred to be watchdogs! " Bad dogs (and hybrids) are a result of bad owners, not a breed.

    • 5 months ago
  • Luna2na
    • 0
      Luna2na  
    • viking777:

      You're barking at the wrong person, pal... I was directly involved in the reintroduction and protection of the species in the western US thereafter... You have no idea how much actual research I have done on this and related topics over the last 17 years. It is nice to see you actually have something of a clue but you missed my point by a mile.

      Perhaps if you were my graduate advisor or committee, I might be compelled to give you citations but I think all that might be lost on you... and with that I stand by my previous comments.

    • 5 months ago
  • viking777
    • 0
      viking777  
    • Luna2na:

      Luna2na:

      I am a big boy I can do a little reading if you want to enlighten me. I actually have a Masters of Science degree that I earned 16 years ago, Engineering degree before that and 17 years of daily experience with this breed. Even taught Grad school for a couple years, so I can read just fine; graded a lot of Grade School papers as well.

      Most readings out there on this subject are not balanced... very one-sided, but I have a brain and experience to filter out the bias and BS so share these links with all the readers. This is a very divided topic, especially amongst the rancher types... oh yea, they are the same ones that blame all those cattle killings on wolves that were really feral packs of domestic breeds. I think I know where your readings are coming from now. The same rancher pricks that threatened to shoot my hybrids if they got out when they were living out their final years in the eastern Oregon mountains. About all mine could catch were some gophers, chipmunks and a few birds. Hardly a threat to a cow.

      Glad to see you read a few articles for Grad School on the "experiment" in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Actual participants in the work was a pretty small group. Bravo if you got some hands on time; you would have likely fell in love with the breed as much as I did. Being around these majestic, intelligent and emotional animals, playing with them, becoming a part of their family as much as they become part of yours is an experience I never got with a domestic dog.

      Wolves have been doing fine in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin and even better in Canada, away from the ranchers. And wolves have been pets going back to the Native Americans hundreds of years ago.

      The breed isn't for everyone, just like Poodles are not for me.. Give me a Rooof Roooof from all the big dog owners out their... oops that might have been a little too macho.

    • 5 months ago
  • Judgian12365
    • +2
      Judgian12365  

    • "They do better on chains." said Werner Shuster, 82, owner of Wolf Country USA."

      It makes one wonder if the same might be true of Shuster himself.

    • 5 months ago
  • bailey78
  • coolplanet
    • +1
      coolplanet  

    • Very heartwarming.
      A friend of mine rescued three hybred wolves from similar abuse 10 years ago. The local Humane Society gave them to her knowing that they would be well cared for. She has 10 acres of high fence to run and they live in the horse barn. They're shy but very friendly. Tulsa, the female, looks exactly like a gray wolf and has taken a special liking to me. She jumps up and nibbles my chin which was a little intimidating at first. They get along well with the other dogs and horses which is amazing.

    • 5 months ago
  • EmperorThan
    • 0
      EmperorThan  

    • The damage is already done. My dog Pepsi was abused when she was a puppy by whoever owned her. Ever since I got her she hides, runs away, etc. Only in the last 2 years of the 6 I'ves had her has she really started to let me pet her and come near here. But if something makes the slightest noise she'll bolt.

    • 5 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +1
      wolfess  

    • This is so cool :-)! Reminds me of Demeter ... and I never saw her do anything but 'mother' my schnauzers so I honestly believe wolf dogs can 'adapt' and become part of our human society -- just as dogs have! Good on the couple who are running this program ... if someone would want to donate to their cause how could they do that?

    • 5 months ago
  • Luna2na
    • +1
      Luna2na  

    • Thanks for posting this... yet another terrible thing we do to wolves and dogs.

      Like the lady said: "Wolf dogs are products of human vanity and machismo."

      Fortunately there are some sanctuaries to care for them after their traumatic existence of over exposure to humans..

    • 5 months ago
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  

    • I love dogs. I was once privileged to companion to a family of
      German Shepherd canines. They were my best friends. I know
      I'd love lupines too. This is a realy heart warming story. Thank
      God someone rescure them. They respond to love like all warm
      blooded creatures who gestate their young inside themselves.
      Thanks E.V. Happy new year. I hope it's a good one for all our
      animal planet friends.

    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +2
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      Feeding time

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      Coast Guard veteran Lillyin Love tries to coax newly relocated wolf dogs to eat poultry from her hand. Because of their histories, size, strength and often unstable temperaments, the animals need lots of care. The nonprofit International Fund for Animal Welfare donated $43,000 to construct nine new enclosures with 10-foot-high fencing.

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    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
  • EthicalVegan
    • +1
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      A close-up greeting

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      Matthew Simmons gets a nip on his goatee from one of the wolf dogs. "No more pain," said Simmons, 38, of the hybrids. "They're getting along amazingly well, although there have been a few tussles in which one girl pushed another girl around. But overall, they honestly seem to understand that this is a better environment than where they came from."

      .

    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +1
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      New living quarters

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      Veteran Stanley McDonald, left, and Chris Craft measure wood for a gate they are working on in newly constructed enclosures for the relocated hybrids. "I see a lot of myself in these animals," said McDonald, who was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder after he returned from the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm. "Like them, I was lost and troubled until I came here. Now, there's a lot of healing going on."

      .

    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +1
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      Acclimation process

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      Lindner helps a wolf dog get acclimated to its new environment. Crossing wolves, which have been bred by nature for millions of years to be wild, with dogs, which have been genetically manipulated for thousands of years to serve humans, creates a conflict of innate behaviors.

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    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +1
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      Restless energy

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      A newly relocated wolf dog casts a shadow while pacing in its enclosure.The Humane Society of the United States has taken a hard stand against wolf dogs as unpredictable, destructive and rarely trainable. At least 16 states ban them, and California and 20 other states have restrictions on ownership.

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    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +1
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      Still a bit suspicious

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      Wolf dogs look warily toward their lunch at the sanctuary. "It was heartbreaking to see so many of these animals on chains," said Lindner, 46. "Wolf dogs are products of human vanity and machismo."

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    • 5 months ago
  • EthicalVegan
    • +1
      EthicalVegan  
    • Image

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      A new environment

      ( Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times )

      Lori Lindner, co-founder and president of the Lockwood Valley Animal Rescue Center in the Los Padres National Forest, gets acquainted with one of the 29 wolf dogs she and her husband, Matthew Simmons, relocated to the sanctuary after they were seized from a roadside attraction near Anchorage.

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    • 5 months ago
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