History
Dusty-pup was brought to the Sanctuary after a lady in Tijeras phoned us about a wolf-dog roaming around her house. The lady had cared for the feral dog, occasionally letting him inside her house. However, she was worried that animal control might find out about Dusty-Pup, capture him, and put him down. Leyton traveled to Tijeras to inspect Dusty-Pup, and worried about his fate, captured and brought him to Wild Spirit. We planned on adopting out Dusty-Pup soon after his arrival, but certain behavior issues prompted us to reconsider. He is now a much better behaved dog, but his infatuation with his companion is making us place his adoption on hold.
How Can I Help Dusty-Pup?
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: Dusty-Pup is a low-content wolf-dog most likely mixed with malamute.
Living Arrangements: Dusty-Pup lives with another low-content wolf-dog, Gypsy.
Am I On the Tour Path? "Maybe. I'm in the very front of the Sanctuary next to Romeo. The tour guides don't normally take people past my enclosure, but you can easily see me from the courtyard."
Personality: Dusty-Pup is a naughty boy! His habit of nipping people on their butt or leg, or ripping at their sleeve has scared off many volunteers. However, those who are not intimidated by his behavior soon discover the sweet Dusty-Pup under his exterior. He frequently rolls over for belly rubs or will lean on his caretaker. Dusty-Pup and Gypsy have one of the most affectionate relationships at the Sanctuary, and now the two are inseparable.
Likes: Testing new volunteers, chasing a tennis ball, and pounding the fence.
Dislikes: His collar touched, getting told 'no', and going for walks without Gypsy.
Fun Fact: Dusty-Pup is a great animal for new volunteers to move up to. Although he appears intimidating, he has never seriously hurt anyone, and it helps us to determine which volunteers are capable of handling tougher animals. Dusty-Pup doesn't mind the frequent rotation of volunteers; we think nipping and scaring volunteers out of his enclosure is just a game to Dusty-Pup!
My Wishlist: "I love to play tug-of-war, but I've (accidently) destroyed all of tugging toys. Could someone send me a sturdy rope toy so I can once again claim the tug-of-war championship?"
