Ghost

sex: male
born: January 1992 (est.)
birth place: Colorado (est.)
champions: Will & Becky Wade

deceased: 03 September 2006

Almost every animal at Wolf has had a champion,  someone who connected with them and their plight. A special person who went the distance to find them a home at Wolf .

given sanctuary: 01 August 1995

 

Ghost's Memorial
see Newsletter - Summer 2006 (click)

Ghost's Story

Ghost was a stray in La Porte, Colorado. He made his appearance in a fashion that earned him his new name. A young couple who raised rabbits were awakened in the early morning hours to the sounds of a screaming rabbit. As the man looked out his window to see what was going on, he saw the faint apparition of a ghost wolf in the dim moonlight, trying to pull a rabbit from its cage by one of its feet. As he turned on the lights to get a better look, he discovered that it was not an apparition at all. There, in his backyard, was a 150 lb. animal that looked to him to be a wolf.

His wife approached the animal, and was able to put a leash on him and give him reassurance that no one was going to hurt him. Even though the man tried the move before his wife, Ghost wanted nothing to do with him, and even took a snap at him. The couple chained him to a tree and gave him food and water.

The next day, they contemplated the fate of the animal and what they should do. Unlike most individuals, they wanted to know more before they proceeded. They called Wolf and asked if we would mind taking a look and giving our opinion. Looking at Ghost, we could see some wolf traits, and so informed the couple. They explained that they were considering keeping him, and were instructed as to what they would have to do in order to keep him secure and protect their two other dogs. Wolf also explained what occurs with wolf-dogs that are turned over to the humane society, and left the couple to their deliberations.

After several days, they asked Wolf to take Ghost, realizing that he would not be happy in their environment, and potentially could cause them problems with their other animals. The young man also explained that he was the activities director of his fraternity, and would provide the labor necessary to build Ghost a suitable enclosure. The decision was made, and Ghost was moved to the Wolf Sanctuary.

True to their word, the young couple showed up with approximately 15 young, strong individuals on the appointed day, and built the new enclosure. Wolf provided a barbecue, and the event became the beginnings of a long relationship with the Triangle Fraternity from Colorado State University. Every semester, the fraternity comes to Wolf and provides a day or two worth of labor to accomplish general tasks or the building of a new enclosure.

The labor provided is a godsend, and the emotional lift that the founders of Wolf receive is even more rewarding than the labor. In a world where Wolf deals primarily with individuals who are looking to shirk responsibility and dispose of their problems in the quickest, easiest fashion, no matter the consequences, it is amazing to see this young couple and their associates accept responsibility for an issue not of their initiation.

Ghost has adapted to his new home and is in an enclosure with Jazzy, who he gets along with very well. Several years after he came to Wolf, we discovered that Ghost had been the focus of a Division of Wildlife search. It appears that his excursion to the rabbit hutch was not a one-time event. Several other families had reported a white wolf who was taking down pets and livestock in the surrounding area. Luckily for Ghost, he was an excellent escape artist, and managed to elude the authorities a number of times in the past. It seemed to us that he chose to be captured by the young couple, and is still alive today because he did.

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