The Sanctuary

Isabeau

- Shaman Gets A New Squeaky Toy  

- Ghost Passes

- Shadow Hawk & Kiki Adapting

(read story below)
If you have missed any of the updates on this rescue you can read them on our website at:
http://www.wolfsanctuary.net/08-news/08-01-E-News/08-01-00-00.ht

Shaman Gets A New Squeaky Toy

     As the dynamics in the Wolf house pack have changed over the years, it became obvious that a younger, stronger and more playful Shaman, needed a companion closer to his own size and energy level. There are now only two older females in the house pack for him to play with and they are both half his size.
      The quest started almost a year ago, in order to find an individual who would not only be good for Shaman, but also accepted by the two old ladies. It would have to be a young, high-content wolf-dog or pure wolf.
      There had been many good prospects, but none ever seemed to pan out. Finally the request came from California. A 4-month old female who was reported to be a pure wolf needed placement. She was much more than the current caretakers could handle -- “we had no idea of what we were getting into.” She also ended up biting (in play) a neighbor’s child. Based on photos and the description of her personality, it appeared that she would be ideal. A date was set for her to be transferred to Wolf’s care. The location would be half way between the Bay Area in California and Fort Collins, Colorado -- Wendover, Nevada. Wendover? Where the heck is Wendover? The exchange would be made at 9 am. This would require the Wolf rescue team to leave at midnight.
      The day arrived, Saturday September 2nd, and the team was in action. The following account, by Brandy, chronicles their adventure. After a long day at work, Friday, a quick nap in the evening and a knock on my door at midnight my Saturday began. Steve was here and the trip was on. Steve started driving and headed for I-80 to head west through Wyoming. Without notable events and having slept on and off in the car I started driving around 3:30 am.
     It’s amazing how few cars there are on the highway in the middle of the night. Even the truck drivers had pulled off to sleep, but we had a schedule to keep. We saw the sunrise over Salt Lake City and continued our journey to the state line and Wendover. We found the casino we were meeting them and called to see where they were. As it turns out the time changes at the state line and he wasn’t planning on being there until 9 am Pacific Time.
     Groggily, we headed to the nearest fast-food restaurant to eat some breakfast. Another phone call revealed that he was running late and would probably be another hour. When he finally showed up I was shocked to see that he had traveled with the pup in the back of an open-bed pickup with a travel kennel bungeed to the bed. The kennel was so small for her that she was folded up inside. Once we got her settled in our much larger crate she started giving kisses. No matter how exhausted you are, puppy kisses have a way of making everything better. She curled up and slept almost the entire trip, just happy to have some room.
     I’ve never been so excited to see La Porte, because it meant we were almost home and it was getting dark. When we arrived at Wolf at 7:30 pm, the other animals had been kept out of the front enclosure so she could have some time to take in her new surroundings. She was given a quick physical exam and was extremely skinny. We could feel every rib and her hips were much too apparent. She also had a patch of fur missing from the nap of her neck. She supposedly lost it being ‘trained’ with a harness, but our belief was that she was probably chained by that harness. Otherwise she seemed to be a long, lanky, high-energy puppy.
     She met Shaman at the gate separating the enclosure and all seemed to go well. We decided to let him in to see her as they were going to have to meet nose to nose before either would calm down. Shaman was not impressed initially and showed a lot of fangs. She was so exuberant it seemed to be a little overwhelming for him. He has grown accustomed to lazy naps in the sun, which came to an end the minute she showed up. So eager to play she kept pulling his tail. I don’t think anyone ever taught her that this is not how you get an Arctic wolf to like you.
     Or, maybe it is -- Shaman warmed up to her and started playing back. It was a nerve-racking hour, which thankfully ended well. After several hours of playing she slept most of the next day until we went up into the enclosure to check on her. She has a strong personality and is constantly exploring her surroundings; she would never have been happy as a pet.
     Even though it was a tiring whirlwind trip to Nevada, it was worth it to see how excited she was to see her new home and pack mates. I would do it again in a heartbeat just to see that look in another animal’s eyes.
     It now appears after doing blood tests and reading the instructions given the old caretakers by the breeder, that she was being starved, dehydrated and has signs of kidney issues. We are treating her for those ailments and expect her to recover just fine. We will keep you updated.
     OK, the ‘squeaky toy’ thing -- when Shaman was small he loved his squeaky toys and would play with them for hours. When we were trying to give the new little girl a suitable name, it some­how came out that she would be Shaman’s new squeaky toy. Although her formal name was determined to be Isabeau, the majority of the time she is being called ‘Squeak’.

     Old comfortable slippers, a warm fire, some soft music and a good book are all very nice but nothing when compared to an old and true friend. That was our Ghost, a very old and true friend.
     Caring for puppies is always a joy but caring for an Old Dog is a labor of love. You have to experience it to understand what I mean. They, Old Dogs, become very finicky about what they will eat, so you become a Gourmet Chef willing to cook up anything and everything just so they will take a small bite. There are medications to give and of course they all taste terrible if you are an Old Dog. So you, as the human, will come up with everyway imaginable to make those medications palatable.
      Then there is the problem of going potty. All of a sudden there are “accidents” and an old friend who would have exploded before having an accident, can no longer stand even though he has four legs. In fact, his four legs which used to help him run like the wind are now a hindrance. His equilibrium is gone and you, well, you turn into a strongman any circus would be proud to have. It doesn’t matter that this Old Dog weighs one hundred and forty pounds, all of a sudden you have super human strength. It doesn’t matter if your back hurts or if you have a hernia or if your knees are bad, you would carry him to the end of the earth if it became necessary.
     It’s not just your body or your time you are willing to sacrifice, it is every extra blanket and towel in your home. Every possession means nothing, you would give up all you have, if it would help make this Old Dog comfortable.
     When you look into his eyes the tears will flow freely from yours because you know in your heart that you will miss this Old Dog but it is time to say I love you Ghost, Goodbye.
     On September 3rd we helped Ghost pass. About a week before that he had experienced a small stroke and never quite regained his ability to get to his feet. His appetite disappeared and his eyes told us it was time.

     As reported in a previous update, Shadow Hawk was brought in from a failing sanctuary as a companion for Kiki. He was placed in the containment area at the front of Kiki’s enclosure, so they could get accustomed to each other.
     After several weeks, the door between them was opened. The humans waited, prepared for the worst. To our surprise, nothing happened -- absolutely nothing. Kiki ignored Shadow Hawk and he ignored her as he explored the enclosure. We left them alone with hopes they would bond when no humans where around.
     Although they still do not appear to be very interested in each other, they are also not at all aggressive towards each other. After what each has been through, they may just need time to heal their wounds. Fortunately, Kiki’s mournful howls have ceased, and the two are now singing together. We are hopeful this is a positive sign and in time they will bond enough to become good companions. We will keep you updated on their progress.
     By the way, we also planted a tree at Wolf in memory of Luke and his ashes will aid in its growth.