Wolf Haven

On an impulse I stopped by Wolf Haven today, about ten minutes off the I-5 in Washington, I think it was exit 102. It is a sanctuary for wolves; all their animals have come from private owners, except for a few brought in after car accidents. I joined a group and was given a tour by a very competent and likable volunteer named Bruce. Wolf Haven has more than 80 animals and are trying to breed certain species for the Feds, in addition to simply caring for the animals.

The common story is this: Some schmuck buys a fancy looking animal as a puppy. And wolves are cuuuute as puppies. They grow up and things are usually ok and they act like a slightly rougher dog until about the age of 3. Then the wolf starts following the call of the wild. As in nature, he is faced with the choice of subduing to the will of the pack leader, go his own way or challenge the Old Man for leadership. Two of these options do not end well for the owner.

There are also several hybrids who look slightly different from wolves, but they act and think just like their wilder brethren; you can't breed out wolf genes in one generation. Bruce told us that 80% of hybrids in America are "put down" by the age of three because their owners can't handle them. Crazy numbers. A lot of the info given is simply heartbreaking to someone who luuuuubs wolves, like yours truly.

Bruce also showed us a map of the wolf population around the turn of the century and in 1973 (I think). The first map showed wolves everywhere except in southwestern California. The second map showed wolves only in Alaska and a tiny dot up by the Great Lakes. Since then they have begun to make a comeback, much due to the effort of conservationists (like Wolf Haven) and much due to various US agencies. As Bruce explained, they are not a bunch of wild eyed treehuggers up at Wolf Haven, they just want these animals to have a chance in the future.

On the other hand, politicians from the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming in particular should be locked in a cage with a rabid pack until they stop holding the Federal budget hostage with their insane demands to cull these magnificent animals down to numbers that are not sustainable. When I hear about Federal agents being forced to shoot animals from helicopters and then gas their dens to kill the newborns, I feel an urge to go postal on politicans' asses.

So here's my first request of you since I recommended anysoldier.com during the war in Iraq: Go to Wolf Haven's homepage and sign up for a wolf adoption or a donation or just buy sumfin'. Every little thing helps. They're doing the Lord's work here, good people. And that's coming from an atheist, so you KNOW it's true!

All pics here.

This poor feller, whose name I have forgotten, was abused by his former owner and the fuckin' assholes' friends. You can't give a wolf dog commands and expect them to obey.




I wish these humans would go away and let me get on with my 23,5 hours of daily zleeeeep.


Some of them were all white and purdy in the fur. All wolves are born with black fur and blue eyes, but later they will take on all kinds of colors.