Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples rescues abandoned wolfdog

Someone decided to get rid of a pet dog. This dog happens to be part wolf, part malamute husky.

Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples said it seems like someone dumped the wolfdog near Clewiston to roam free.

“It angers me, and it makes me sad,” said Nancy Smith, co-founder of the sanctuary. “And I want to do something about it.”

Smith has been rescuing and taking care of wolfdogs for almost 30 years.

“I wish people would think about it first before they go get a pet,” Smith said. “I don’t care what it is. It’s a promise for the length of the life of that pet.”

But Clewiston Animal Control said it’s possible someone broke that promise.

Someone spotted the male wolfdog on the side of the road near the Hendry County line with Collier County. Animal control said it appeared someone left it there and drove off.

The wolfdog is safe and the newest member at the Naples wolf sanctuary.

“If he had been out there running, he had not been out there for too long,” said Deanna Deppen, executive director at the sanctuary. “He seems to be a fairly decent body weight. He didn’t have a lot of mats in his hair, and his toe nails are short, so he seems to be have been cared for at some point.”

The wolfdog is in a foster home now but will be up for adoption soon unless someone claims him as their lost pet. The animal does not have a name yet, and the sanctuary is seeking help.

Deppen said the animal wasn’t abused and appeared domesticated, but it’s not uncommon for the owner to want to give the wolfdog up because people aren’t often prepared for the behaviors of these hybrid animals.

Regardless, Smith said owners should be responsible and take these animals to a sanctuary versus setting it loose.

“It’s cruel,” Smith said. “It’s mean. People don’t want to be bothered.”