Lazar Wolf joined the Big Pack in the Sky on September 9th, 2024.
He passed away at 12 years old due to a pancreatic islet cell tumor.
Lazar was born in June of 2012, and arrived at Wild Spirit on August 13th, 2022. We first received notice of Lazar in July of 2022, when Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary was contacted by a private owner in Ohio who was going through a divorce and, as a result, was in need of placement for his 10-year-old mid-content wolfdog. At the time of this request, we were at max capacity with over 60 rescues in our care and didn’t have room for any new intakes.
However, about two months later, we ended up losing one of our senior rescues, Azteca, leaving behind the last of her siblings, 15-year-old Juno, who we knew would probably love a new companion after losing her sister.
With our next “perfect match” in mind, we made the trip from New Mexico to Ohio, where we were introduced to an incredibly sweet old man named Lazar Wolf (Lazar for short, named after a character from Fiddler on the Roof). We knew in an instant he would be the perfect fit for Juno.
Once Juno passed, Lazar was in need of a new companion. We knew finding him a new match would be a challenge, because Lazar struggled with “Pannus”, which is an immune-mediated condition that impacts the cornea of the eye. This left Lazar clinically blind prior to his arrival at the sanctuary, and though his condition was improved by oral medication and eye drops, it was clear he was still in pain and discomfort. As such, with advice from our vet, we made the decision to remove both eyes to alleviate further pain following recovery.
Though Lazar was a kind boy, we knew we needed to find an equally kind companion who would be patient and forgiving with him. Luckily, in early summer 2023, we rescued Amren as part of the Pennsylvania Six, who was exactly what Lazar needed! The two were a wonderful pair during the time they spent together. Amren was even more than accommodating to Lazar’s lack of vision.
Personality
Lazar was a kind guy who had a strong passion for food and a weakness of bumping into things. He was one of the most soft, sweet, and loving animals you could ever hope to meet. On your best days, he was there to celebrate, and on your worst ones, he was more than happy to lend you his big, fluffy neck, contentedly standing by your side so you could wrap your arms around him, bury your face in his fur, and cry. He was an exceptional Educational Animal, and each guest that met him walked away with their hearts full to bursting. He was loved by all who knew him, whether human or animal (except for Enya).
Relationships
Prior to life at Wild Spirit, Lazar shared his life with two female wolfdogs who, coincidentally, ended up in our care a few months after his rescue. The first was Kitana, who he had a great relationship with during their time together. The second was Kitana’s daughter, Enya, who he did not have a great relationship with.
Once Lazar joined our wild-spirited family, he was paired with a senior low-content wolfdog named Juno, and we swear his presence brought her so much love and light that it extended her life well past the age of 15! When Juno passed away, Lazar was introduced to Amren, a young and playful mid-content wolfdog. When she first arrived at Wild Spirit she was anxious and afraid in the presence of humans, but through watching Lazar interact with us, she began to test the waters, too, eventually coming up and allowing even tour guests to touch her!
Likes & Dislikes
Lazar loved scent rolling on people when they entered his enclosure–especially if they were a little stinky. He was also highly food motivated, and nothing, not even the lack of vision, ever stopped Lazar from finding and enjoying any/all food and snack items. Despite being almost completely blind when he arrived (and eventually having both eyes removed), Lazar also loved going on walks!
Though he loved his companions and Caretakers, Lazar absolutely did NOT love when anyone went near his food. He would also sometimes grumble at his much younger companion, Amren, when she attempted to get him to play by bumping into or pawing at him (especially as he couldn’t see her body language and perhaps sometimes misunderstood that she was trying to initiate play).
Fun Facts
Lazar Wolf was our most prolific artist at the sanctuary, painting many pieces for visitors with his paws! Many people ordered works of art from Lazar, and one customer even believed he channeled her dog that had passed away early that year when she could clearly see the pups face in Lazar’s painting.
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