Brutus
Male High-Content Wolfdog
brutus
Brutus joined the Big Pack in the Sky on April 17th, 2016.
He was assisted at 9 years old due to cancer.

Brutus was born in April of 2006, and arrived at Wild Spirit in June of that very same year. Shortly after we rescued the litter of Arctic wolf pups (Alice, Thunder, Sabine, Sugar, Storm and Powder), a friend of Wild Spirit called to see if we were interested in more puppies. A litter of 8 Arctic-Timber crosses had been born in Oregon to a man who did not know what to do with them. We explained that we really had our hands full already and wouldn’t be able to take them. However, a former staff member who was planning to open a sanctuary in Ohio was eager to take the Arctic-Timber litter.

Out of the 8 pups in the litter, 3 were sold to private owners and the other 5 were brought to Wild Spirit for temporary housing while their rescuer made arrangements to come pick them up. Unfortunately, his plans to open a sanctuary fell through, and Wild Spirit ended up keeping the 5 puppies: 3 boys and 2 girls, named Forest, Dakota, Brutus, Savannah, and Sassy. Since they were only a week apart in age from our Arctic puppies, we put them together and let them grow up as one big family.

As the Arctic-Timber puppies grew up, it became clear from their behavior and appearance that they were not pure wolves, but rather high-content wolfdogs, meaning they were ~85-95% wolf. Despite this difference, they lived happily with the Arctic wolves, and they eventually all divided into independent packs, each made of a combination of the two litters.

Brutus was somewhat of the black sheep (in wolf’s clothing) of the pups. He bounced around between a few groups, but never quite found a permanent home with any of the Arctics or Arctic-Timbers. He eventually found his perfect match with a wolfdog named Skye; the two were so bonded that following Skye’s passing, Brutus slipped away peacefully in the same spot just 8 days later. Though the loss was heartbreaking, we take comfort in knowing that he and Skye are howling and running free in the Big Pack in the Sky.

Personality

Brutus was a beloved, ever-smiling boy who lived each day with joy, and won the hearts of everyone who met him. This unflappable fellow was never really bothered by anything, and enjoyed the small things in life, such as the company of others, every bite of every meal, and resting in the sun.

Relationships

Brutus spent the majority of his life with his companion, Skye. They enjoyed every moment together.

Likes & Dislikes

Brutus was a bit of a foodie! He enjoyed new tastes, smells and combinations of foods.

Brutus disliked when Skye would push him out of the way to be the center of attention. He was happy to share affection from Caretakers . . . She was not.

Fun Facts

Brutus had the most adorable little under-bite and snaggletooth! It was also incredibly rare to snap of photo of him when he was NOT smiling! Don’t believe me? Search our Facebook and try to find one!

Share your Memories of Brutus Below!

1 Comment

  1. Christine Crawford

    I first met Brut when he was about 9 months old. We were on a tour, they brought him out and he ran straight to me. We were bounded for life. He was a beautiful soul. I spent a lot of time with him and Skye. At first Skye was a little jealous but she finally decided to share. Brut loved to play and was always super happy when I came to play with him. Always in my heart sweet boy.

    Reply

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