We were first contacted about Beans in the fall of 2021 by a private owner and well-known member of the Wolfdog Community. She explained that due to unforeseen circumstances (including an upcoming relocation to a county in which wolfdog ownership is illegal), she may need to re-home her pets in the near future…
At the time, nothing was set in stone, as the owner was working with law enforcement officials within the new county to request an exception; however, she wanted to plan ahead incase her request was denied.
Fast forward to March of 2022, we were contacted by the owner once more and learned that while no official decision had been made, things weren’t looking very promising, especially for her young female, Beans, who had more wolf content than her other wolfdogs, and was therefore the least likely to have an exception made for her.
Sadly, one of the harsh realities about rescue is that available space is always limited, and even when a spot does open up here at the sanctuary, it’s usually not long before it’s filled. Knowing this, Beans’ owner made the incredibly difficult decision to place her with us before receiving an official response from the county, not wanting the opportunity for safe placement to fall through. We agreed to place Beans, and prepared to pick her up and bring her home.
Then, in April of 2022, Wild Spirit was contacted by another private owner/breeder, and well-known member of the Wolfdog Community who was requesting assistance with one of his animals, a male high-content wolfdog named Aragorn.
To provide a bit of backstory, Aragorn was born in April of 2021, along with his five siblings. Unlike his littermates, Aragorn wasn’t sold to a new owner; instead, his breeder decided to keep him as one of his own, allowing him to remain with his mother and father and be hand-raised by his owner from just a few days old. (This is a common practice with wolfdogs, as it is believed to increase human and animal bonding during crucial socialization periods.)
For the first 3 months of his life, Aragorn lived primarily inside with his human family and their other pets, furthering his socialization and general comfort in what would otherwise be a strange and potentially scary environment. Unfortunately, one night his owner experienced a medical emergency that required immediate hospital care. In order to ensure Aragorn could see to his own needs while his owners were away (as it was uncertain how long they might be gone), they placed him outside into a large enclosure complete with food, water, and shelter.
Sadly, that same night a massive thunder storm hit, and Aragorn – who was used to living in the comforts of a home, surrounded by people who could give him lots of reassurance during uncertain situations – was completely traumatized by the storm. When his owners came back from the hospital, he was stressed, anxious, and afraid, and though his owners worked for months attempting to recover the sweet boy they had raised, he was never quite the same.
Knowing that his health would continue to be a concern for him and his animals, Aragorn’s owner made the incredibly difficult decision to contact us and ask if we had the space available to take his baby. Fortunately, we had just paired up two of our single rescues, providing us with a newly-empty enclosure with his name on it. Just a couple short weeks after our initial conversation with Aragorn’s owner, we hit the road for Arizona and went to go get him.
When Aragorn arrived, we immediately knew he would be an excellent match with Beans. The two are very similar in age, energy, and personality (though Beans is much more of a go-getter than Aragorn is), which has made them a fan-favorite of our team, as well as the guests that get to see them.
Aragorn has allowed many of our Animal Caretakers to give him love and affection, but the evidence of his general anxiety is plain to see, especially when it gets windy or rainy. Thankfully, Beans has acted somewhat of a “thunder shirt” for Aragorn to help him stay calm and secure whenever the elements strike. Mind you, she does take payment in the form of human affection; Beans continues to be one of our most affectionate rescues, constantly patrolling the fence line for any tour guests who will offer her praise. Her love for humans goes so far that she even has a tendency to resource guard Caretakers from her companion, growling them away or mouthing them until they leave. The only thing Beans loves more than being the center of attention is finding a nice shady place to rest.
Do want to support this incredible couple? 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.
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