By Nancy LaPorta | Project Manager
Full Moon Farm Wolfdog Rescue and Sanctuary, founded, 2002.
A recap of 21 years of saving lives of “abused and refused” wolfdogs from all over the country.
Oh, that fateful day in May, when a truck hauling animals from NH to TN, got stuck in my driveway, I had no idea how my life was going to change. Some 21 years and 700+ wolfdogs, here I am…
Wolfdog rescue isn’t like doggie dog or kitty cat rescue. Dogs and cats are accepted. Wolfdogs are “mythunderstood”, although they are recognized by USDA as domestic animals, the public thinks they are “wild”. Wolfdogs are no more inherently dangerous than any other large canine and in reality less likely to get into an altercation with a human! We have focused on education as well as rescue.
I hope you will notice that I did not use the term wolf hybrid!
The average American Wolfdog is a product of a wolfdog to wolfdog breeding, with the pure captive bred wolf being 3 or more generations in the background. A hybrid is a cross between 2 distinct and separate species, or in some cases, breeds – think Golden Doodle!
The dog breeds in the mix is often overlooked and the emphasis is put on the wolf genetics. In reality, the dog in the mix is more crucial as the wolf content is diluted over many generations.
DNA testing is still in its infancy, but it sure has helped me and other rescuers/responsible owners look at the variable in the particular wolfdog we are working with. I have found that the majority of all American wolfdogs we have tested at the farm contain genetics from Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies and German Shepherds. There are some breeders that have used Norwegian Elkhounds or Belgian Shepherds, and a few Collie genes pop up now and then. Wolfdog breeding has been very random over the last 80 years here in America. In Europe, wolfdogs are looked at differently, and they are developing a breed standard, using the dog genes to determine conformation and behavior! They even have dog shows! We would love to see that thought process come across the pond and help American Wolfdogs become understood.
Wolfdogs are not for everyone to own, but neither are most working breeds. Border Collies, Huskies, Malinois, Bloodhounds, etc. need a job to be fulfilled and happy. Wolfdogs need enrichment and someone to love and understand them. We do our best for them every day.
Full Moon Farm and I are extremely thankful to all our supporters that keep us going.
Joyous howls from the Mountain!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
