Nashoba

sex: male
born: 27 February 2007
birth place: Texas

given sanctuary: 19 March 2008

 

Nashoba's Story

Wolf desperately needed a companion for Shaman, as Isabeau is just too rough and causing severe arthritis in his back end. A puppy would be the best thing, both from the standpoint that a pup would have the needed energy to keep up with Isabeau, but also would be young enough to be accepted by Shaman.

Well, our prayers were soon answered. On 21 February, we received an email from a humane society in Truth or Consequences, NM. They had a year old wolf-dog named Ison who had been at the shelter for 5 months. The owners never claimed him, and the shelter director had fallen in love with him. He would have kept him had he not been in an area where wolves are still considered vicious baby killers. This caused a major problem when Ison escaped and was free-ranging for a few days. They had to find safe placement for him immediately. Even the local vet threatened to kill him if he was brought in for any treatment!

Luckily, they found Wolf and we had space for him. On 19 March, Steve and a veteran volunteer named Tony set off to meet the transporter in Pueblo, CO. As is our luck, they arrived back at Wolf in the dark. We couldn’t risk introducing him to new animals at night, so he would have to spend the evening in our geriatric enclosure in front of the house. Ison tried to escape the kennel frantically while being carried in the front gate. We hurriedly let the scared animal out, only to discover he had a leash and rope collar on his neck. Now what? He was very afraid and would not let us take them off. Frank fed him 5 lbs. of chicken trying to earn enough trust to remove the collar, all to no avail. Finally, we were forced to corner him to get them off; otherwise he could get stuck and hurt himself. The rope leash had to be cut off his neck, and it had left an impression in his fur.

The next morning, Ison was still very scared. We let Shaman and Isabeau into his enclosure, expecting the worst. Boy, were we wrong! Ison immediately rolled over and submitted to Shaman. Good move, Shaman accepted him immediately and actually protected him from the maniac Isabeau. She, of course, had to push the limits, and scared the boy a few times. All in all, it was a great meeting, and the three were soon running around like they had always known each other. They continue to do well together. The two youngsters play constantly, and give Shaman a much needed break. In fact, Ison has so much energy, he actually harasses Isabeau relentlessly, paying her back for all her tormenting of Shaman.

Unfortunately, he is still afraid of the humans. He is slowly coming around, and eventually we’re sure he will decide we aren’t so bad. On review of his transfer paperwork, it appears Ison has actually been through no less than 5 names in his short life. Because of this, and his finding of a new, permanent home, we decided to let one of our outstanding supporters and volunteers, Pat, give him a new name. He chose Nashoba, which means “wolf”. Nashoba is a great addition to the house pack, and without a doubt a huge relief for Shaman. We think he likes it here too, especially since he gets spoiled with goodies and lots of meat.

Recently, Nashoba started approaching his daily caretakers. He will sometimes allow a quick scratch, or lick your hand. If you have goodies, he will eagerly eat them. More often than not, he tries to play bite your clothing, but runs away if you look at him. A very lucky volunteer even received a kiss on the face from him! He is a very happy boy.

 

Become A Member of Wolf