Memories of Ghost & Spirit

One Old Wolf

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.

One Fairly Young

There are also the times in your life when you will not be given the gift of caring for a dear friend in their waning years. Those are the times when you wake up from the lassitude in which we often find ourselves living our lives. You know what I mean. Those times when the universe slaps you in the face and you are left standing there saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get to visit with you one last time, feel your fur under my fingers, share that last piece of string cheese with you and gaze at your knowing face.

This is what happened on July 28th when Spirit was found in his enclosure by two volunteers. He had left sometime during the night. Shock and heartbreak is what was felt by everyone that knew him. Spirit was only eight years old, we all felt that he had gone too soon. A necropsy performed at Colorado State University and the doctor told us differently. It seems that he had a genetic defect. Spirit’s kidneys were only one third the size they should have been. Short of placing him on dialysis and a kidney transplant list, there was nothing that could have been done for him. In fact, the doctor felt we were lucky to have had him share his life with us for as long as he did.

Spirit was special, credited with helping people heal, adjust to the knowledge that they had cancer, go through grieving the loss of a son and so many other experiences. His presence in a physical form could not be ignored. He made connections with humans that cannot be explained. The bond he developed with his first companion, Cheyenne, was an amazing relationship and one that was inspirational to all who would see them. His relationship with Kiki continued the model of what can and does happen frequently in wolf society. His essence was and is tremendously powerful and a spectacular teacher and emissary for his species.

Kiki Gets A New Companion

Every morning and night began with a lonely, mournful howl from Kiki. Everyone was taking Spirit’s death hard, but Kiki was left alone and grieving terribly. We knew she needed a new companion soon to help her through this tragedy.

Wolf founder’s had recently visited a sanctuary near Denver, in a grave situation and closing their doors. Of the 49 animals in their care, 13 wolves/wolf-dogs were in danger of being euthanized. We wanted to do something to help. Unfortunately, due to the County restrictions placed upon Wolf, we only had room for one. Which would have the least impact on the groupings already established at the failing sanctuary? Which one should we take? And would Kiki approve of the choice?

Frank and Pat, cofounders of Wolf, tried to decide which one would be best for our girl based on their past visit. After careful consideration, Luke was chosen, a male of roughly the same age as Kiki. He was in a grouping of three males and seemed to be the one who was not in sync with the other two when they had visited there. We also suspected him to be a relative of Shaman, as the similarities were unmistakable.

We called the sanctuary director and informed him of our desires. Could we pick Luke up on Sunday? No. As it turned out, Luke was the alpha male of the pack, and removing him could potentially cause problems with the remaining two males. Would we possibly take Shadow Hawk, the omega, and not disrupt the pack structure? After more careful consideration, we believed that would work. Steve and Kiley would be there tomorrow afternoon to bring him home.

Sunday morning, August 14th, the air was full of anticipation. Every item imaginable was loaded up in preparation for any situation. The volunteers left very early for the three-hour drive, and arrived without a hitch. The director lead them down to the wolf enclosures to see Shadow Hawk. Unfortunately, the excitement quickly faded as the first glance of the enclosure yielded an unexpected, horrific sight. Luke lay dead at the front while Shadow Hawk and Elvis paced nervously at the back. No one moved or spoke until the shock waned. Luke was then examined, but showed no evidence of injury or disease.

Frank and Pat were soon informed of the situation, and quickly decided we must have a necropsy performed to determine the cause of death. Luke would be coming back to the sanctuary, but not as originally planned. There was concern as to what this would mean to both Shadow Hawk and Elvis. With the alpha gone, everything would be in upheaval. It was decided that Elvis could go in with a single female in the next enclosure and Shadow Hawk would make the journey to Wolf.

Steve and Kiley then had to focus on the task at hand. Preparations began to move Shadow Hawk. He would have to be tranquilized and kenneled for the trip to Wolf. A dart was prepared and the volunteers quietly entered the enclosure. One slowly approached Shadow Hawk, waiting until the opportune moment for the shot. Bam! The dart struck the correct target, but was quickly forced out. Had it stayed in long enough for the entire dart to expel? Only time would tell.

Steve and Kiley exited and anxiously waited 20 minutes. Upon returning, they found Shadow Hawk in the back corner, completely asleep. He was quickly carried out, examined, and loaded in the kennel. Due to concern for his breathing, he was given a reversal drug to wake him back up. Moments later, Kiley stroked his paw to stimulate a breath. However, this stimulation instantly awoke him, and sent him rocketing to the back of the kennel. In turn, Kiley went flying backwards in the other direction. After mutually scaring each other, he was left alone to calm down.

Luke was then placed on a stretcher, wrapped in a tarp, and placed in the back seat, leaving Elvis completely alone. The director decided to cut a hole in the fence between him and the solitary female to aide in his transition. The volunteers then quickly left to bring Shadow Hawk home!

The ride went well, and everything was already prepared for his arrival at the Sanctuary. He was released in the containment area in front of Kiki’s run to adjust. Although apprehensive of people, he seemed very curious, and loved his new diet of meat!

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.

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