Shaka

sex: female
born: December 1993
birth place: Colorado
died: 20 April 2004

given sanctuary: April 1994

 

 

 

Shaka's Memorial
see Newsletter - Spring 04 (click)

Shaka's Legacy
see Newsletter - Spring 04 (click)

Shaka's Story

Of all the animals at Wolf, Shaka’s story is probably the most important of all. It is not because Shaka herself is more important than any of the other animals at the sanctuary, it is because Shaka was the first animal ever accepted by the Wendlands, and it is because of her that there is a Wolf.

Friends of the cofounders of Wolf, Frank and Pat Wendland, owned Shaka. The Wendlands received a phone call from these friends, saying that they had purchased a wolf-dog puppy and were having a very difficult time training her. Also, they believed she was going to grow up to be a biter. Would the Wendlands come and meet her and possibly adopt her so she would not have to be euthanized? Shaka was approximately three months old at the time. Frank and Pat agreed to meet Shaka. That was in early 1994. This event started a chain reaction that, hopefully, will continue to help animals that find themselves in situations similar to Shaka’s.

Having adopted Shaka, the Wendlands realized that she was not like the other dogs they had lived with. It was very obvious, very quickly, that Shaka would always be a special-needs animal. The Wendlands themselves were unsure what all of those needs were, or would be, as this beautiful pup matured into an adult wolf-dog.

So began a long, educational process for the Wendlands. They undertook this process in the hope of giving Shaka all that she needed to live a happy and healthy life. They proceeded by reading anything they could find on wolves and wolf-dog behavior. They watched videos and visited with people who had been involved with wolf-dogs. During this period, they even talked with breeders of these animals. What they learned shocked them. Thousands of these animals were being destroyed, and there were laws prohibiting them in some areas of the country.

At this same time, the Wendlands were introduced to a person who owned wolf-dogs, and became very attached to his animals. They would visit this person and the animals on a regular basis. One day while attempting a visit, they discovered all of the animals and the person were gone. When they inquired about what had occurred, they were informed that one of the animals was found dead and another dying. The animals had been neglected to the point of dehydration. The individual who had owned them had disappeared when a warrant was issued for his arrest. It was at this point that the Wendlands, who had already found out about the mistreatment and deaths of so many wolf-dogs, decided to rescue as many as was feasible, and so Wolf was born.

Shaka’s temperament and extreme social nature is what got her into trouble with her original owners. She loves to be with people, and does a typical wolf greeting when encountering individuals she knows or is just being introduced to. We call this greeting the “lick, lick, bite”. After being away from Shaka, at work all day, her greeting to her original owners was one of puppy exuberance and untempered extremes, combined with the wolf greeting. When evaluating this behavior, it is important to remember that canines use their mouths the way that humans use their hands. Therefore, her real intentions were not to hurt or bite anyone, but to give hugs and kisses. We have included this example into our educational program to show that humans must accept the nature of these animals, in order to allow them to grow up as well-adjusted as possible. Use the analogy of a small human child who continually seeks love and attention by hugging and kissing mom or dad. If these attempts are continually met with disdain, reprimand and forceful rejection, that small child is going to grow up to be maladjusted. We therefore recommend, to anyone who is considering the purchase of a wolf-dog, that they prepare themselves to receive and appreciate these signs of affection, even though, at times, it may be painful.

Because of Shaka, Wolves Offered Life and Friendship came into being. Shaka still lives, healthy and happy at the Wolf Sanctuary, as part of the house pack.

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