Rescuing is tough work, especially due to the task of travelling across the country to bring these animals to their forever home. However, sometimes the stars align, and we can rescue not one, but two critters in a single trip! That was the case for the rescues we are featuring today: Artemis and Zion!

We were first contacted about Artemis in May of 2022, not by the owner, but a sanctuary in Colorado with a question: Would we be interested in taking on a 4-week-old high-content wolfdog puppy located in Texas?

Despite our undeniable excitement, we needed to know more about the situation before making a decision, so we reached out to the puppy’s breeder for more information.

We soon learned that the breeder’s original plan had been to keep the pup as one of her own. Not only did she have decades of experience owning and breeding wolfdogs, she also had the time, space, and resources to provide the pup with a long, happy, and healthy life – alongside her mother, father, and several other wolfdogs, as well. On the other hand, she knew her sweet little girl could experience that same level of love and care with a qualified sanctuary, where she could also help thousands of people each year learn about the plight of wolves in the wild.

In the end, she wanted to give her pup the opportunity to act as an ambassador for her species, and believed Wild Spirit was the best place for her to do so. We were honored by the offer, and agreed to welcome a new life into our world. Even before we went to get her, she was named Artemis, after the goddess of wild animals and the hunt, and we quickly began planning for her future with us.

Because Artemis was in the critical “socialization period” of her development – a time when pups really begin to explore the world around them and develop curiosity, confidence, or even fear based on the people, places, and things they experience – we knew it was important for us to pick her up as soon as possible in order to properly acclimate her to life at the sanctuary. So on May 14th, we made the trip to Texas to pick up the newest member of our pack.

During the drive home, Artemis spent a portion of the trip in the lap of one of our staff members, where she fluctuated between napping and practicing her howling. And as the sun went down, she was placed into a crate where she slept for the remainder of the journey home.

While she was still a baby – especially during her socialization/bonding period – Artemis spent her days and nights with the human members of our pack, who provided her with a safe and secure foundation on which to experience her new world. Her time with us has included many hours of social interaction with humans, as well as companionship with older mid-content wolfdog Balto, all with the goal of helping her feel safe and confident in her forever home. Additionally, we have taken this time to familiarize her with various aspects of care that will become routine in her future with us. For example, she will learn to walk on a leash, have her nails trimmed, and even prepare for various aspects of vet care such as vaccinations and blood draws.

By conditioning Artemis to be comfortable with these things at a young age, we transform these otherwise “scary” events into much more neutral experiences. Not only does this decrease her stress, fear, and anxiety, it makes some of the most challenging aspects of lifelong care much safer and easier for us and our veterinary care team!

That same year, Wild Spirit’s Executive Director saw a post in an online Wolfdog Rescue Group that showcased a 2-year-old mid-content male looking for a new home after he was found wandering as a stray in Oklahoma.

In most states, when an animal is picked up as a stray and taken to a shelter, they are placed on something called a “stay-hold,” usually for up to 10 days to allow their owner to find and claim them. When an animal is unclaimed, they become the legal property of the shelter, who will then try to find them a new home (assuming they are suitable for adoption).

Sadly, Zion’s owners never came to claim him. In addition, because of the shelter’s policies on wolfdogs, they were not able to put him up for adoption and had a very short amount of time to find an outside rescue that would place him. Thankfully, another rescue did step up to pull him from the shelter, but soon ran into their own issues with him, prompting them to post him online for us to find!

Unfortunately, at the time that Zion’s story was posted, Wild Spirit didn’t have an empty enclosure to take him in. What we did have, however, was a fellow rescuer who happened to be located in Oklahoma – and who had assisted us in placing two other wolfdogs in the fall of 2021 – so we crossed our fingers and reached out to see if he had the space to take him. While he agreed to take Zion in, knowing the situation was growing urgent, he explained that he couldn’t commit to another permanent rescue, and asked that all parties continue to look for alternative placement. At the time, the rescue that originally pulled Zion from the shelter felt strongly about finding him an experienced owner, rather than placing him with a rescue or sanctuary. Uncertain of how feasible that option was, especially after hearing about some of Zion’s more difficult behaviors, Wild Spirit offered to place him if the time came, as long as we had an empty enclosure.

By March, we learned that Zion still hadn’t found his forever home, and though his foster was in no hurry to get rid of him, we knew his chances of finding a home were dwindling. So, as promised, Wild Spirit made the official offer to place him.

We hit the road in May of 2022 and made yet another trip from New Mexico to Oklahoma to retrieve Zion. Being a relatively social animal despite some of his alleged behavioral issues, he was placed on a leash and loaded into our rescue van without issue. Before returning to the sanctuary, Zion accompanied us on the trip to Texas to pick up Artemis!

A few months after his arrival, Zion was paired with senior low-content wolfdog, Luna, who had gained an incredible boost in confidence thanks to his social disposition! However, Zion proved to be a tad bit too energetic for Luna; he is now living with high-content wolfdog Larka, and the two have been a match made in heaven.

There you have it! In a single day, we rescued two wonderful animals who have been an intrigal part of the Wild Spirit family ever since.

If you want to support Artemis and Balto, or maybe Zion and Larka, you can do so by clicking here! They would thank you if they could, but just in case, we sincerely appreciate you on their behalf.