Doc joined the Big Pack in the Sky on May 2nd, 2011.
He passed at ~18 years old following an injury from a companion.
Doc was an Arctic/Tundra wolf born in 1992, but the exact date is unknown. He arrived at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in December of 1999, along with four other wolves, Mandi, Cody, Oprah, and Whitney. They had been raised by an unlicensed exotic animal dealer who had been thrown out of many states for cruelty and neglect of his animals.
The animal dealer ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada in the summer of 1999 along with the five wolves, who were kept in a two-stall horse trailer. They were used as part of a travelling “show”, exhibiting wolves to the people of Las Vegas. As time went on, they were eventually moved to two 8 x 20 ft pens at an exotic animal facility and cared for by a part-time Caretaker. A broken water pipe kept their small pens ankle-deep in mud, and the animals often paced and fought.
Their story soon came to the attention of a local investigative TV-reporter. Outraged, the reporter contacted members of the Las Vegas Animal Rescue and Humane Care Community. The wolves were seized by authorities, and the search for an organization to offer them sanctuary began.
Wild Spirit was contacted in October of 1999 to gauge if we had the resources to care for the animals. Upon agreeing to rescue the five wolves, we sent a capture team down in December. Through the concerned and committed people in Las Vegas and our members, we were able to raise enough money to build the Homestead Pack — as they came to be called — a large enclosure in the trees at Wild Spirit.
Doc lived a long and happy life at our sanctuary. Regretfully, fights do happen between rescues, and we can never truly be positive what starts an altercation unless staff are present the moment they occur. When conflict arose between Doc and his companion, we were able to separate them quickly. However, when we treated the wounds and moved him to another enclosure for monitoring, in his old age he eventually succumbed to his injuries two days later, despite our best efforts.
Photos by:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kamia_the_wolf/
Personality
Doc was a bit of a handful when he was younger and had the habit of guarding things from Caretakers inside his enclosure. Once he became older, Doc’s mood mellowed and our boy became more passive and affectionate. He spent most of his days sleeping in his enclosure, occasionally getting up to receive a treat from a passing tour guide. Doc had poor luck with companions, but seemed content while living with his last companion, Contessa.
Likes & Dislikes
Doc liked gentle scratches on his ears, meaty bones and enrichment items, and his “bed” he dug out into the dirt.
Doc disliked sudden movements, being approached head-on, and his water being changed.
Fun Facts
Doc lived the majority of his life at the Sanctuary with his companions from Las Vegas. When the last of the group passed away, it was clear that Doc was in need of a canine companionship, so we tried introducing him to another female. It turned out that many of the females found it was much more fun to beat up poor Doc than to cuddle with him! He went through four different companions before ending up with Contessa. The two had a very affectionate relationship, but was not without its issues.
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