Nanook -- A Legend Passes

Nanook came to Wolf in January of 1995. This was even before we had formally incorporated as a non­profit charitable organization.

Nanook was the epitome of why so many humans want a wolf-dog. He was magnificently beautiful (oops, handsome!), outstandingly regal in his composure and had a personality that would not be ignored (or else!). He was
also the epitome of why so many humans dump their wolf-dogs. He would not be contained in a conventional yard or enclosure, he would demand attention due his stately position with a nip to the human buttocks and he pursued his predatory instincts by killing small animals. You can read more of why and how he came to Wolf on our web site under Their Stories. His image was so powerful and impressive it became the model for the Wolf logo. Wolf could have easily been named the Nanook Sanctuary.

Nanook enjoyed going on adventures, meeting new humans and quickly became the Wolf ambassador. He attended many events including: schools of all levels, public events of all sizes, gift stores, professional organizations, the state capital, conventions, book stores, art galleries, nature centers, fund raisers, libraries, to art classes as a model,
museums, nursing homes, hospice care facilities, to the public hearings held by our county and has even attended funerals by request. He was extraordinary at spreading the message about the plight of wolves and wolf-dogs as pets. He was just tame enough to allow new humans to visit with him, and his Wolf handlers not to lose control of him, but just independent and wild enough to make it very clear that he was more than you wanted in your home or with your children. His look and demeanor was perfect for the message we wanted people to understand.

His career in the diplomatic/
educational services brought him in contact with thousands of humans of all ages, cultures, professions and ideologies. He quickly became a celebrity in Northern Colorado and was even featured on a local radio show about famous animals. He was a ‘Star’ and he knew it. At one point we had even been approached by the Disney movie folks, asking if they could ‘buy’ him to star in a movie they were making. Of course, there was no way we could have ever considered ‘selling’ any of the animals at the sanctuary -- not to mention the ‘King’.

After 7 years of pursuing these endeavors, Nanook said, “I’ve had enough.” Usually when it was time for him to go to an event, all you had to do was bring out his leash and collar and he would run to the front gate, ready for a new adventure. On one particular day, when his leash and collar came out, he ran to the back yard. There was no doubt what he had just said.

We totally accepted and understood his self-imposed retirement and never forced him, or any other animal for that matter, to go anywhere. Every once in while, we would bring out his leash and collar, just to check and only once did he bring himself out of retirement -- it was for one of our Howl-O-Ween Runs. He seemed very satisfied with the service he had already given, but would still take pride in giving the appropriate lessons to anyone coming to the sanctuary.

Over a year and a half ago Nanook was diagnosed with boney spondelitis of the spine -- a disease where vertebrae begin to fuse together with excess boney-type growth. There were no surgical options to fix this problem -- only medication to mediate some of the pain. This excess growth of bone was slowly encroaching on his spinal cord and even more slowly restricting the electrical messages to his hips and legs. It was causing him to lose some coordination in his movement.

Nanook’s pride and determination would not allow him to cease the activities that he enjoyed. He would still climb the mountain and scare the heck out of us on his decent. He would still run to the front gate to demand the attention and respect of visitors. Even though clumsy, at times, he maintained his regal personality and zest for life.

At the beginning of December the symptoms became worse and were causing problems with his ability to climb the stairs to the deck and entrance to the house. Although very indignant, at first, he finally allowed us to help him up the steps without biting us. As the days progressed, he started needing help to even get to his feet, then to prop up his hips as he made turns. He again never lost his composure or sense of dignity. The 18th and 19th of December he spent almost the entire time sleeping and refused to eat. We tried several more medicinal approaches to keep him comfortable, but it was very obvious that he was now ready to go.

On December 20th, the eve of the solstice and the darkest day of the year, we had some of his special 2-legged friends visit with him and prepared for the vet to come. Candles were lit, Native American music was played in the background, sage and sweet grass were burned. Nanook allowed us to carry him from the bedroom to the living room and with quiet dignity and gentle appreciation he acknowledged and then departed.