Newsletter - Spring 2002
(click to link to pdf download)

 

OK I Lied, 28 At A Time

We emailed a plea for emergency help at the beginning of April to help 28+ animals being displaced in Maine.

By the time this article is read by you, hopefully, enough money will have been raised to save these animals.

The situation involves a breeder in Maine who passed away leaving 28 wolf-dogs in need of homes. There are 15 adults, 13 puppies and one of the adults is pregnant.

The rescue of these animals is a cooperative effort between several rescues/sanctuaries. The main coordination, planning and implementation is being carried out by Dawn Bednar at the Federal Wolf-Dog Rescue in Florida. Dawn has been doing the unenviable task of searching out all of the necessary prerequisites that go into a rescue of this size. Finding suitable homes for them at qualified facilities being the most difficult.

As most of you know, Wolf cannot accept any additional animals at the facility because of county restrictions. We have however, been trying to help raise the necessary funds to implement the rescue. At the time of this writing we have received pledges for $2200 and anticipate more will show up in our mail and Dawn's. Please send what you can. The rescue, unfortunately, just simply cannot happen without money.

To see more photos of these animals and the original email text go to Announcements 08 April 2002.

We will be posting the status of this rescue on our web site as time allows. For those of you who are interested you may also check the status by phone (970-416-9531).

Thank you for your help!

Drawing The Line

The problem is either growing or we are just hearing about more of the dire situations that exist. We fight daily to determine where our lines should be drawn. We fully understand that we cannot save them all. However, when do we sit back and say, "we've done all we can do?"

We are painfully aware that the few sanctuaries and rescues that exist, for these animals, are challenged with the same question. They are all stretched to the maximum: financially, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Financially it takes an exorbitant amount of money to rescue animals. The initial stages involve a significant amount of long distance phone calls: faxing, emailing photos and trying to find space at other facilities.

That usually moves into the significant expense of building new enclosures at a facility that can accept more animals but can't afford the expense of building. The cost can range anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000 to accommodate one existing group or pack. The range is wide due to the availability or non-availability of volunteer labor to construct the enclosure. Obviously paying labor drives up the cost quickly.

Once the finances are worked out on the enclosures, medical exams, sterilizations and vaccinations must occur. Any one who owns animals understands how expensive this can be. Also, before an animal that is not social can be examined, it must be darted or tranquillized in some fashion, and darting equipment and supplies are not an inexpensive proposition. Unfortunately, most vets cannot afford to give very much in the way of discounts.

Now comes transportation. In order to minimize the trauma to the animals a means must be found that is quick and as calm as possible. Distances and availability dictate most of the logistics involved with an effective mode. Needless to say this is not inexpensive either.

Physically, the demands of rescue can be likened to the 'bale of straw' that broke the camel's back. The vast majority of sanctuaries and rescues run on volunteer labor. Although you are confident that the motives are appropriate for your labor force, unfortunately the time availability and the level of expertise is very limited. This requires that most of the rescue work be accomplished by the full-time or experienced individuals at the facility.

In some cases that does not exist. The first five years Wolf was in business both founders worked full-time jobs besides caring for animals. In most cases the only experienced individuals are the founders who are up to their eyeballs trying to take care of the animals they already have. This means balancing the uncertainty of the volunteer force with the time away from the normal facility chores that rescues require.

Logistical planning alone can require days or weeks, in the case of large rescues. Travel, capture and medical tasks can easily run into several more days. Then at the end of all that the regular chores have piled up requiring longer days to catch up.

Mentally, knowing that animals' lives are at stake preoccupies and taxes the gray matter. The constant bombardment by the subconscious, of every conceivable option that might be used to accommodate a rescue, is exhausting. Nothing else on the 'to do' list quite seems to get the mental attention. Although this is great for the plight of the animals, it doesn't do much for the rest of the challenges that face the sanctuary.

Emotionally, dealing with the ramifications of turning away animals or not being able to find them new homes, is probably the worst conflict when drawing the line. Unfortunately there are many more animals in need than there are people willing to get involved.

Knowing that you might be the only thing that will prevent their deaths makes it extraordinarily difficult not to get involved.

Spiritually, you are constantly forced to confront your belief system. There is a continual battle between the optimistic and pessimistic aspects of the human condition. This battle will at times drain your motivation and at other times increase it. Obviously the challenge is to maintain an optimistic approach and recognize that your little piece of the fix is all that is expected of you. But what is 'your piece of the fix': where do you 'draw the line'?

You can't help but to grow and come to the awareness that something much greater than you has a plan that is way beyond your level of comprehension. Accepting this plan and feeling comfortable with your piece of the big picture is the ongoing struggle.

We are completely satisfied with the path we have been guided to, but wish it were a little easier to draw the line on the scope of that path.

Become A Member of Wolf