About Me
My name is Akyra... I am one of the furry residents of WOLF -- a Sanctuary for wolves and wolf-dogs in northern Colorado. I wanted to share my experiences so you can understand the work they are doing. I live here with other abused, neglected, and abandoned wild animals. Every one of us is much better today than when we arrived. My story had a rocky start before I came here 13 years ago. I was born at a typical breeder’s facility. I was taken away from my mother when I was 2 weeks old -- before my eyes opened, so I would bond to humans. I was sold to my new caretakers when I was 8 weeks old, with a shady contract that stated a number of things that were blatantly false.
My companions and I are lucky, however. We are survivors of the escalating captive wildlife crisis -- where people are breeding, exploiting, abusing and then discarding wild animals like us. We are not welcome at animal shelters because wild or part wild animals are not eligible for adoption. WOLF turns away between 800-1,000 animals a year. Estimates are 80-90 percent of those animals turned away are killed. Licensed, ’True’ sanctuaries, like WOLF, are our only hope for survival, along with caring folks like you -- helping WOLF, helps us.
My new caretakers were not well suited for an animal like me -- they lived in an apartment. The person who bred me, like most, did not do home checks. These new humans had busy schedules and since they had no yard, I spent a lot of time in a plastic travel kennel -- not such a wonderful situation for an intelligent and energetic animal like me. So when they were home and let me out, I had a lot of energy to expend. My curious nature and natural instincts led me to a lot of adventures they didn’t understand or appreciate. They, like many folks who purchase wild animals as pets, did not know what they were getting themselves into and our relationship started its turn from bad to worse. I figured out how to escape from the travel kennel, so I soon found myself frequently tethered to a tree outside the apartment complex -- often without water on hot summer days. As I grew older I wanted to do things that wolves naturally want to do. Following my instincts got me into more trouble and things became abusive. Wolves, like me, do not train the way domestic dogs do. We are independent thinkers -- an important trait in staying alive in the wild. My caretakers became more frustrated with me. I found myself being burnt with cigarettes, hit with a baseball bat, which shattered my elbow, and I even jumped from a second story balcony, to get away from being abused -- damaging my elbow even more. They would feel bad about what they did, and give me a rotisserie chicken to make up for things. Regardless of the abuse, I still loved them very much. This is because wolves bond very strongly with their pack and my caretakers were just that to me. Thankfully for me, a caring neighbor was taking notice and reporting the situation to the authorities. Soon thereafter I was confiscated from my caretakers and brought to WOLF.
What started out bad, ended positive because people cared --people like you. On arriving at WOLF, I was frightened. I was given a full medical examination including blood tests. I noticed the volunteers felt bad for having to draw the blood, but it was necessary. This kind of care was something new to me. Each of us receive full vaccinations, are sterilized and isolated for a month or so to make sure we are not bringing in any diseases.
We are given water and fed daily. Some of us need and receive medications and supplements. Every animal at WOLF has problems, some were abused, some have medical maladies like heartworm or broken limbs, but each of us was given refuge from a world that doesn’t understand us. Over time, I learned what it is to be treated with dignity and respect. We have large private habitats, with room to run—for many to experience freedom for the first time. We are grouped into small packs of 2-3, as we are very social and require companionship. Although not allowed to breed, being alive, frolicking with companions and having a safe, comfortable place to live is more than enough.
The care is expensive and intense. There are no holidays for the passionate volunteers who help us. WOLF currently cares for 51 of us -- 30 are on the main grounds, 12 are at WideAwake outside of Boulder, Colorado and 9 are in foster homes. When our time is up, we join the memorial gardens, adjacent to our habitats. The legacy of those who have passed lives on through every animal that has received love from WOLF and all of its dedicated volunteers.
Frank and Pat are the founders. They have demonstrated a long-term commitment to animals like us. They fight hard providing more opportunities for other animals in similar circumstances. They fight for our needs and work with government agencies to assure we are protected. They seek support from private individuals and businesses to help more animals. For all this, they take no money. It is why I am speaking up now. We need your help to care for those in the Sanctuary, and to increase awareness about the captive wildlife crisis currently spiraling out of control.
