Neglected, Abused Wolves Find a Home in Colorado Mountains

Bear had a large growth on his lower left leg caused by a 9mm bullet. Nugget was left on a chain and was scheduled to be killed.

And Kenai was taken from his pack when he was 5 months old, becoming lonely and afraid of his owners.

Every animal at WOLF has a story.

WOLF--Wolves Offered Life and Friendship--rescues abandoned, abused, neglected or no longer-wanted wolves and wolf hybrids. In 1993, Frank and Pat Wendland founded WOLF, which is nestled among the mountains of Rist Canyon northwest of Fort Collins.

Their labor of love started with one wolf-dog called Chaka.

Friends of the Wendlands had bought Chaka when she was about 3 months old.

Shortly thereafter, the animal began to demonstrate wolf characteristics, Frank said.

“They use their mouths the way we use our hands.

“The puppy wanted affection,” Frank said. “She would lick, lick, bite, which is a characteristic of a wolf. It’s similar to what humans do when we hug each other.”

But the dog’s actions worried the owners, Frank said.

“They said, ‘She’s a biter; we’ll have to put her down,’ ” Frank said. “We said, you can’t do that.”

The couple visited a woman in Boulder who runs a wolf hybrid rescue organization and learned what it would take to run their own shelter.

What started with one animal has grown into a nonprofit operation that has accepted wolf-dogs and wolves from across the nation, as far away as Alaska. WOLF is home to 42 animals.

The care and attention Frank and Pat give each animal is evident, from the frequent hugs and strokes given the canines to the way they easily recite how each animal came to WOLF.

The stories often are wrenching. Some wolf-dogs were abused by owners uneducated about the ramifications of having an animal that is part wild. Other owners, though well intentioned, became desperate when they realized their pets had become too much to handle.

“What’s unfortunate is that the animals get caught in the middle,” Frank said. “They’re purchased as pets without people understanding what’s going on.”

He added that they do not judge anyone but ask that people become educated before purchasing a wolf-dog. The Wendlands also give educational presentations to groups as part of their mission.

“Most people we see care about the animals and want to do what’s right, but don’t know what right is,” he said.

The problem lies in the very nature of a wolf and the conflict that exists when it is bred with a domesticated dog.

Wolves are used to traveling long distances, and cramped quarters can lead to displaced energy. Frank explained that captive wolves are not able to expend that high level of energy and become frustrated.

“It becomes a pressure-cooker effect. The energy they can’t use builds until they explode,” Frank said.

The “explosion” can result in an attack on other animals or humans.

Releasing the animals back into the wild is not an option, Frank said. Once a wolf is bred in captivity, it loses some fear of humans--a fear that is necessary to survive in the wild.

“It doesn’t have a pack. A lot of the information a puppy needs is taught in the pack,” Frank said. “Our mission is not to reintroduce wolves. That can happen on its own if wolves and wilderness areas are left alone.”

Meanwhile, it is time for Chana’s medication.

The stocky, light-colored wolf-dog is about 50 pounds overweight, the result of a tumor on the pituitary gland that causes the animal to bulk up. An Englewood company, the Pet Imaging Center, donated its services and performed an MRI on Chana, revealing the tumor.

Chana has been taking medication costing $250 a month; Bristol-Myers Squibb donated $1,000 worth of medicine in an effort to shrink the tumor.

“We wouldn’t exist without a lot of caring people,” Frank said.

WOLF relies heavily on donations, ranging from food to volunteers who work on the shelter and help feed, water and care for the animals.

“That’s a sweet wolf,” Pat said to Chana as she gave her a dish of food with medication mixed in. She stroked Chana’s heavy coat as the wolf-dog lapped up the food.

The animals’ home is on about seven acres of heavily forested land enclosed by chain-link fences, dig guards and triple locks on gates.

Pat makes the rounds, calling each animal by name. Some run eagerly from across the enclosure to greet her. Others take their time in getting closer, while some sit perched upon their doghouses surveying the activity below.

Pat introduces each animal and offers information that gives a glimpse of his or her traits and personalities. To the Wendlands, each wolf and wolf-dog is unique.

“While we don’t believe they should be bred, they’re not a disposable commodity,” Frank said. “Once you look into their eyes, you can feel the spirit that exists in them.”

A quote by Chief Dan George sums up the Wendlands’ belief:

“If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other.

“If you do not talk to them, you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear.

What one fears, one destroys.”