Juan was born in December of 2007, and arrived at Wild Spirit in August of 2015. Some consider the rare and wild New Guinea singing dogs to be most like dingoes, but others report that they have completely unique DNA. They get their name from their equally unique howl which is nearly impossible to describe. Some say it sounds like a barbershop quartet, and others describe it as an ethereal trill. When we rescued our first group of Singers, Bono, Reba, Princess, Foxy and Bowie, we heard there were less than 200 New Guinea singing dogs in captivity, and that they may already be extinct on their native island of Papua New Guinea. We read that on the island, Singers were seen more in pairs than in packs. Recently, however, we learned that a very small number of wild singers still exist on their native island!

Juan and Tia were held for over 6 years by a breeder in Tijuana, Mexico. When Tia and Juan were no longer successfully breeding, the two were scheduled to be euthanized in 2015. That’s when Wild Spirit, the New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society, and many other caring folks came together to save their lives.

Unfortunately, in 2020 a routine vet visit revealed that both Juan and Tia were both nearly blind, deaf and suffering from arthritis. Juan in particular was struggling with his health, suffering from heart disease, which did eventually take this loving little man’s life. We are thankful he was able to live out his golden years with us, and beside his life-long companion, Tia.