EUGENE, Ore. — They’re rare and often striking in appearance, but one animal sanctuary in Eugene says wolf dogs shouldn’t even exist.
The non-profit’s founder tells us being ill-prepared for owning one can be unsafe for both the dog and the community.
Lore formerly named Killian and his brother Declan are 5-year-old wolf hybrid dogs.
Crux Sanctuary’s owner Marra Watson says Crux had been trying to get the pups since their owner died early last year.
It wasn’t until a Christmas Day attack against a smaller dog that the medium content wolf hybrids would be placed in crux’s care.
“Greenhill had called us in the past and asked us if we would take them months before that, so we had built a pen out in Veneta for those dogs, and then when we went to get them, the daughter wasn’t ready to let them go. It was Christmas Day they got out again and then she was faced with some charges, and she was ready to get them off of her plate,” said Watson.
The dogs are now adjusting to a new home at Crux where a number of hybrids, both dogs and cats, have found rehabilitation and proper training to be rehomed.
But Watson says the dogs shouldn’t be bred, and people without the necessary conditions for the dog shouldn’t own them.
“At their core, they’re hunters, so that means that they are tracking, killing, eating; they’re figuring out survival all the time — wolves are, and so that part of them needs enrichment,” said Watson. “And for any dog, I would say, it’s not just the wolf dogs; it’s so important to research the breed before you get them. Because all the rescues are full. There’s not a rescue in town that has space. The shelters don’t have space.”
Many of the animals that come to Crux are either breeder castaways or those from owners without the means to care for them.
Pamela Mathis has fostered for Crux on her ranch for the last three years.
“They were abused, but that’s not the dog’s fault. I’ve had some that were very tentative, and I built a special cage for them, and they were so scared of me. I went in there, and I didn’t approach them. I let them approach me. You just want to give them the respect they deserve,” said Mathis.
“It’s definitely a life change. You have to be willing to be active and really get out and make sure the dogs get enough energy,” said Laura Harris, foster for Crux.
They need hours of exercise off leash, and the average fence won’t keep them in because they’re great climbers.
Even with experience fostering since 2018 and creating the sanctuary in 2020, Watson says Lore bit her.
In the battle between his wolf nature and dog nature, Watson tells us, the wolf won as he attempted to get his food faster.
“They’re not something you stick on a shelf. They make people’s lives miserable when they tear up, and damage, and ruin things because they’re just trying to get what they need. But people get them when they shouldn’t, and they go through hell,” said Watson.
Watson tells us when someone has earned a wolf dog’s trust it’s an accomplishment.
“And once you have their trust, they will follow you anywhere and do anything for you. They are intelligent and amazing. They are beautiful and different. You don’t just own them, they own you too. They are a reminder that we can’t tame everything, some things we have to adapt to, not the other way around, the wild and all that is wild is that. They don’t conform to our lifestyle, we have to conform to theirs in order to successfully keep them,” she said.
After thorough vetting, Crux rehomes the dogs.
Watson says adopting through rescues prevents breeders from making more hybrid dogs, and not only saves that dog but it creates a space for the next dog in dire circumstances.
When rehoming, Crux looks for homes with no young children and no small animals, because of the dogs’ prey drive.
They look for stable people who own their own home and have been in the same job and relationship for years as the dogs take a long time to bond with someone and are very shy and sensitive and don’t rehome well or take change well.
Crux looks for homes with another dog of similar size but the opposite sex.
The dogs require owners who are not beginners, so Crux also looks for dog trainers or people who have had a difficult dog and stuck with it and learned how to help their dog overcome things.
Watson also advises the dogs are expensive to maintain because they’re large, and they have a need for high protein and tend to destroy things with their hair, teeth, and paws, and vet needs when they get unexpected injuries.
Lastly, they look for people with the time and energy since it takes time to care for animals and stability of lifestyle and physical strength.
Crux advises very strong vetting and looking out for red flags if you must go to a breeder.
Some tips include:
- Always meet the parent dogs.
- Be sure to see the environment the dog lives in.
- Get references to ensure dogs from the breeder has faired well after adoption.
- Never go with a breeder who doesn’t vet you.
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