History
Doc came to Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in December of 1999 along with wolves Mandi, Cody, Oprah, and Whitney. These five wolves had been raised by an unlicensed exotic animal dealer who had been thrown out of many states for cruelty and neglect of his animals. He ended up in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the summer of 1999, the five wolves were kept in a two-stall horse trailer. Eventually they were moved to two 8 ft by 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 eventually 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, and Wild Spirit was contacted in October 1999. 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.
Big Pack in the Sky
1992 - May 2, 2011
Doc will be known as being one of the oldest animals at the Sanctuary. Although considered 'ancient' in wolf years, Doc looked and acted surprisingly well. Despite some stiffness in his leg, as well as most likely being blind and deaf, Doc seemed to enjoy life and appeared quite content in his enclosure. Unfortunately, Doc was discovered badly limping with wounds on his side while volunteers were doing chores. It appeared that Contessa, Doc's companion at the time, dominated him too roughly. In fear of infection and infestation of maggots caused by fly season, we sedated Doc to shave and clean up the injuries. It became apparent, once we were done, that his injuries had a serious effect on Doc's health. Whether due to stress, an internal injury we were not aware of, old age, or something we may never discover, Doc passed away two days later.
Mae J.
Jae L. K.
Nancy K.
John W.
Judith S.
Gail L. N.
Paul N.
Susan A.
Christine C.
Profile
Bio: Doc was an Arctic/Tundra wolf.
Personality: Doc was a bit of a handful when he was younger and had the habit of dominating women inside his enclosure. Once he became older, Doc's mood mellowed and our dominant boy became passive and affectionate. He spent most of his days sleeping in his enclosure, occasionally getting up to receive a treat form a passing tour guide. Doc has poor luck with pen companions, but seemed content while living with his last companion, Contessa.
Likes: Gentle scratches on his ears, meaty bones and enrichment items, and his "bed" he dug out into the dirt.
Dislikes: Sudden movements, being approached head-on, and his water being changed.
Fun Fact: 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 upset, so we tried introducing him to another female. Poor Doc - it turns out that many of the females find it is much more fun to beat up Doc than it is to cuddle with him! He went through four different girlfriends before ending up with Contessa. Luckily, the last pairing worked well.
