Wolf Sanctuary

{My non-entered entry to the Member's Only Challenge, enjoy!}

When I was 24 I decided to follow my dreams and find the dog I always wanted growing up. I would look for an Alaskan Malamute mixed with a Wolf. Wolves have always been a great fascination for me even from my earliest memories. My parents showing me drawings from when I was three talking about the “wooooolvs.” I have always loved the fact that they can survive on their own or together as a pack. Something everyone growing up identifies with, that struggle to find yourself and feeling alone. Always on the hunt for relationships with others who understand your true self. That hunt for your pack and the freedom it brings. What better relationship could that be then that bond between a dog and their owner.

The hunt for my first puppy starting with hours of searching internet classifieds until I found the perfect one. A lady who’s wolf dog mixes just happened to have puppies and she was only asking $800 a piece for them. Lots of photos later I opted for the tiny female with the triangle shaped face markings and the sweet look in her eyes. I would find out later the hosts family called her Lover Girl. She was the runt of the litter weighing in 10 pounds lighter than her brothers and sisters; the one who had the most to prove. She was a fighter and I aptly named her Rogue after the X-men character. Like X-men’s Rogue her touch would get you. Her signature move throwing her paws like a boxer in greeting or anger depending on her mood.

My patience would be tested as a new pet owner. The horrors of having a puppy are all true. They are little fur balls of destruction with sharp teeth that are just waiting for you to mess up. $80 heels, stacks of unread books, telescopes, things you couldn’t even imagine a dog being interested in all destroyed. I would experience a mental breakdown during potty-training thinking she will never get it. Only to have her magically be perfect the next day. The trial and error of finding the best food for ear infections and upset stomachs. The errors of thinking only physical exercise was needed and learning one needed mental play time as well. One thing is for sure people deserve trophies for making it through those puppy stages.

Rogue’s life has been spent moving from place to place as we dealt with figuring out where we needed to be. We have met lots of good people and lots of bad, some living situations better then others. Our worst experience being the year we had no choice but to be separated. The HOA where I was living decided to change it rules to where no pet was to ever be left unattended outside at any time. Working two jobs this was not a realistic expectation. Long term boarding ended up bring the most practical solution to this problem and ended up being the light in our darkest hour. I was allowed the privilege of picking Rogue up on my days off as long as she was dropped back off before their closing to the public. Every time I saw the owners they would share stories of how Rogue was fitting in, they would ask about my life and how work was going, if things seemed like I would be taking Rogue home soon. It was clear that this was what they were meant to do and that they truly cared about each dog as if they were their own.

My life’s dream would be to be able to provide that safety, that resource of what Rogue’s boarding place was to me to others. To run a Wolf Sanctuary on 40 acres in Virginia with enough space to have multiple enclosures for all types of dogs and wolf hybrids. I would love to let people pay an affordable monthly rate and still get back on their feet. The goal for them to able to bring their dog back home as soon as possible. There would be options for people to sponsor the dogs that wound up being permanent residents. We could send them monthly updates on how the sponsored pet was doing with photo and video updates. I would want to be a safe haven for people to learn all they can about responsible wolf dog ownership and provide a place to connect with other like minded people. In the perfect world everyone could have their dream dog and not worry about pet deposits or breed restrictions. It has been almost 9 years for me and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Rogue.