History
In the Spring of 2006, Wild Spirit began looking for one or two wolf pups to come to the Sanctuary and be socialized in the hopes that they would become ambassadors. Arrangements were made, and in May, the Cougar Family made the trip up to Oregon to pick up a litter of six arctic wolf pups. A week or so after, a friend called to see if we were interested in more ambassadors. We explained that we had our hands full already, but in a few days, a staff member who decided to leave WSWS, called back saying that he would like this litter to start a new facility in Ohio. A litter of 8 timber-arctic crosses had been born in Oregon to a man who did not know what to do with them. He ended up selling three, and one buyer agreed to transport the other 5 to Arizona, where a volunteer at Wild Spirit would go pick them up. The Sanctuary had agreed to house them for the previous staff member while he made arrangements to come get the new arrivals. Unfortunately, placement fell through, and Wild Spirit ended up deciding to keep the litter including Sassy, Savannah, Forest, Dakota, and Brutus. For ease, we typically refer to the group as the "timber pups" even though their father was an Arctic wolf.
How Can I Help Dakota?
It takes fifteen sponsors to provide the basic care for each of our wolves and wolf-dogs for an entire year. This does not include the cost of medication, vet visits, enclosures repairs, or enrichment treats.
Profile
Bio: Dakota's mother was a Timber wolf, and his father was an Arctic wolf. He has four siblings living at the Sanctuary: Brutus, Forest, Sassy, and Savannah.
Living Arrangements: Dakota lives with three of the Arctic siblings who are just one week younger than him - Sabine, Sugar, and Powder.
Am I On the Tour Path? "Yes, but due to my enclosure, you see me through two fences. Luckily, I usually lie near the front, so you should be able to catch a glimpse of me!"
Personality: Dakota is extremely rambunctious and playful. He is social towards almost everyone and enjoys meeting new people. In fact, sometimes he is TOO excited and has the tendency to knock down visitors! He is fairly submissive to the other wolves in his enclosure except for when food is around.
Likes: Meeting new people, digging in his water bucket, and most importantly...food!
Dislikes: Certain buildings and vehicles, meaty bones being removed from his enclosure, and "diet time".
Fun Fact: When younger, Dakota was our primary "At-Home Ambassador". He use to come out and visit tours. However, as he got older, his size increased but his love for humans never diminished. It became too easy for Dakota to knock down visitors. He doesn't go out and meet tours any more, but every now and then, if he is on a walk, Dakota will swing by whichever tour is out and say hi.
My Wishlist: "It's no secret I love food...do you know what would be really fun? If someone could donate a kong and some peanut butter. I know I would lick every last morsel from it."
