We reported in our last newsletter about a situation in Arkansas that was beyond our resources to solve. It involved 15 wolf-dogs that were abandoned by their owner on the property of his ex-girlfriend. The ex-girlfriend did not want them and was urging local animal control officials to remove them. In spite of our efforts to initiate concern and help, through our contacts, 12 of the animals were killed by animal control.

Unfortunately, their approach was not the most humane method and a number of them were actually shot by officers. Three pups eluded all of the attempts at capture and death until it was too late in the day for continuation of the carnage. The local humane society put out one last plea for help. Luckily, one of our foster home enclosures had just become vacant as the last group we rescued from Arkansas had been moved to a permanent half-acre enclosure. (Home at Last - page 4) The three pups could be put there on a temporary basis. However, our funds for rescue of new animals had already been depleted. We started the mental anguish of trying to figure out where to take funds from in order to save these little guys that fought so desperately to stay alive. The person in charge of the local humane society, Jennifer Maynard, pleaded with her Board for the funds necessary to implement our rescue. After repeatedly being rebuffed and threatening to quit, the Board finally approved $200 to help. Wolf could find the rest of the money and the rescue was on. Wolf volunteers Cheryl Budler and Anne Rice packed up the truck and headed to Arkansas.

Jennifer Maynard was able to capture two of the three pups, one male and one female, and they were being treated at a local animal hospital. Traumatized beyond belief, but safe and with prospects for a happier life. The third little guy, a male, was still eluding capture. After seeing his entire adult pack slaughtered and thrown into a pile -- after seeing his last two friends captured and taken away -- one can only imagine the level of trauma that he was experiencing.

Cheryl and Anne made it to Arkansas in time to experience a regional gathering of bikers forcing them to look for hotel accommodations farther from Fayetteville. While searching for a hotel it became apparent that they had gone the wrong way. They were in Noel, Missouri -- a 45 minute detour and they were back on track. Finally successful they spent the night in anticipation of the events scheduled for the next day. Up early they picked up the two pups from the hospital and headed into the back woods with Jennifer to catch the last hold-out.

This was a different world -- standards of living were very different from what either Cheryl or Anne had prepared themselves. The property, where the pup was located, was overgrown and in disarray. It became a concern as to whether or not Cheryl would be able to dart the pup through the overgrowth. The situation with these animals had obviously digressed to a point that not much attention had been given. There was a skin-covered skeleton of a wolf-dog that had died and never even removed from the enclosure. Cheryl found one area that was clear enough for a shot to be taken with the dart gun. Now it became a matter of getting the little guy into that area. After a number of tries at herding they were successful. It was a clean hit and he was going down or was he?

Attempting to secure him for loading proved again that darting does not follow what you see on Wild Kingdom. These animals seem to have varying tolerance levels for tranquilizers dependent on the degree of anxiety they demonstrate and the amount of adrenaline that gets pumped into their system. After another dart he was indeed down. As they loaded him into a travel kennel it became apparent that he was infested with fleas and God only knows what else. The important thing now however, was to get the effects of the tranquilizers reversed. After the animals relax enough from the dosage of drugs given it can be very dangerous as all of the chemicals can take effect all at once. The reversal given it was imperative to get all three of them to their new home as quickly as possible. Trauma and stress over a prolonged period can cause the adrenal glands to shut down and the normal amounts of steroids in the their system, necessary for life, not to be replenished.

The push was on and after another 20 hours on the road Cheryl and Anne were pulling up to Marla and Larry's foster home. The pups seemed to be doing fine, still traumatized, but not showing any signs of distress. They had to be kept separate until the darted animal could be examined, treated and neutered. The other two had already received an examination and treatment in Arkansas. The female was now named Noel, for the town the ladies got lost in and the male, Tonkawa, for one of the towns that they traveled through. Both were placed in one half of the enclosure and the darted male (now named Oz, short for Ozark) was placed in the other half.

It now was important to both allow them to calm down from their trauma and get Oz examined, treated and reintroduced to the other two before territories were established. Two days later Oz received his medical treatment. Then after 5 days of healing he was reintroduced to Noel and Tonkawa. They are all doing great together and enjoy playing at their new home.