Shy Wolf Sanctuary receives $150,000 donation

The Shy Wolf Sanctuary, one of Naples’s hidden gems, is now benefiting from a healthy donation from Thomas Golisano.

On Nov. 19, the sanctuary received a $150,000 donation. It was one of dozens of local organizations that received a portion of nearly $85 million donated by Golisano.

“We are a small animal sanctuary here in Naples, and we struggle to make ends meet and to feed our animals,” explained Debbie LoVerde, the operations manager at Shy Wolf. “The costs get high, as it does for a lot of organizations. So we’re really grateful for this gift.”

• RELATED: Thomas Golisano pledges $85M to SWFL non-profits

Shy Wolf is a nonprofit taking care of 40 animals, ranging from wolves to wolf dogs to foxes and tortoises. Each of them has their own unique physical and emotional needs.

“We are not of the type of organization that rehab and release,” explained LoVerde. “We provide them with lifelong sanctuary. “

Shy Wolf rescues captive, bred and exotic animals. Each one has their own heart-wrenching story of resilience.

“All of our animals here have experienced either some type of abuse, neglect or abandonment,” said LoVerde. “Many of the animals here have never lived in the wild. They’ve been born and raised in captivity, so they can’t just be let go.”

Once at the shelter, the animals are provided with whatever they need for life: veterinary care, food, shelter, enrichment and lots of love.

“If you take that what it costs for you to take care of your pet on an annual basis, and you multiply that by 40, you’ll get a sense of about how much it will cost to care for these animals on a regular basis,” said LoVerde. “Each time we go to the vet, it’s hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.”

It all adds up, so when LoVerde learned they received a surprise grant from Tom Golisano, she was over the moon.

“We were just so honored,” said LoVerde. “It was such a pleasure to meet him and to shake his hand and to thank him in person for that very generous gift. We’re just really excited about how that will help us in the future to just really continue to do our work.”

• RELATED: Make-a-Wish granted at Shy Wolf Sanctuary

Nestled between houses in a residential area, the Shy Wolf Sanctuary has been around for over thirty years.

“We are struggling with the age of the sanctuary,” explained LoVerde. “It’s been here over 30 years, and so, like everything else, there’s wear and tear, and we have a lot of enclosures that need to be rebuilt, and we have a lot of things that need to be refurbished and remodeled.”

First on the list is Gretel, in the fox’s enclosure. Rescued from a fur farm, Gretel is a far cry from the scrawny little thing she once was.

“She loves to dig,” said LoVerde. “And she loves to hide!”

And now, Gretel will be the first animal at Shy Wolf to benefit from the big donation.

“It’s really time to get the rotted wood out of there and to really give our fox, Gretel, a really wonderful place for her to feel like it’s much more of a natural environment,” said LoVerde.

And that’s just the beginning.

“That’s going to be our first step in trying to get the sanctuary just to be a little bit of a nicer place for the animals and for the wonderful supporters and visitors that come here and enjoy what we do, the labor of love that we have here every day,” said LoVerde.

If you are interested in donating or signing up to volunteer at Shy Wolf Sanctuary, click here.