| Whitney with the four other wolves Mandi, Cody, Oprah, and Doc were raised by an unlicensed exotic animal dealer. Their owner was an abusive man, and he was actually wanted in many states for cruelty and neglect of his animals. He ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada during the summer of 1999 where he kept his five wolves in a two-stall horse trailer. The man was captured during this time, and his animals were sent to an exotic animal facility where they were cared by a part-time caretaker. They were kept in small 8 x 20 feet pens that continually leaked muddy water, and the animals were reduced to pacing and fighting one another. Their abuse eventually came to the attention of a local news reporter, who was so outraged by their condition he contacted members of the Las Vegas Animal Rescue and Humane Care Community, and then called us in October. Through the concerned and committed people of Las Vegas and our membership, we were able to raise enough money to build two large enclosures for the five wolves. Mandi, Cody, Oprah, and Whitney have since passed away, and now only Doc remains. |
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Whitney was a friendly girl who was quite affection towards her human and animal companions. When her caretaker entered her enclosure, she would bound right up and beg for attention. She loved to get whole body scratches and being talked to sweetly. In return, she would give her caretaker tongue-baths and would usually try to start a play session. Whitney would almost always join in a group howl, and could be found standing on the top of the hill singing her lungs out. Whitney could be shy around new people, and would act cautious towards them; however, as long as you did not give her a reason to mis-trust you, she would open up eventually. Whitney lived with her mate Doc, and the two were very lovey-dovey with one another, playing and wresting, and then cuddling. Whitney would also be considered a "flirt", and would do so at any chance with her neighbors, which naturally, got Doc jealous. One day, a lump was found growing on Whitney's left side. After a trip to the vet, it was determined that to remove the growth, the vet would also have to remove her left lung. Worried about her quality of life, we opted against the surgery, and the vet gave Whitney a prognosis of about a month. She lasted much longer than anyone expected, and it pained us to see the lump grow larger. Five months later, Whitney passed away peacefully to the relief of the volunteers and staff.
Whitney was a Black-phased Timber wolf. She passed away at the age of fifteen. |
