A dog at a New York shelter is looking for a home, but there’s a difference: he’s part wolf.
Bear, a wolfdog currently housed at the Islip Animal Shelter and Adopt-a-Pet Center in Long Island, New York, is struggling to find a permanent home, highlighting the challenges faced by wolfdog hybrids.
Adam Cottrell, director of the Medfield Massachusetts animal shelter and wolfdog advocate, campaigned to help Bear.
Bear was abandoned at the shelter due to severe separation anxiety, which Cottrell said made it difficult for him to be left alone. “The bear is very destructive when left unattended and can break out of a standard cage,” Cottrell said. News week.
“He needs someone who can be home frequently or who has a secure, escape-proof enclosure,” he said.
Despite his challenges, Bear is described as being great with children and other dogs and was a well-adjusted family pet before his arrival at the shelter.
Islip Animal Shelter
Cottrell has spent the last decade finding homes or sanctuaries for wolves and wolfdogs through his nonprofit, the Northeast Wolf Refuge, and now works with the Islip shelter to help find Bear appropriate placement.
Fostering wolfdogs like Bear is complicated because in many states owning wolves or wolfdog hybrids is illegal. For example, in New York, wolfdogs are classified as wild animals, making them illegal to own or adopt as pets. This classification often forces wolfdogs to go to sanctuaries rather than family homes, even if they exhibit few or no “wild” traits.
“Bear has a low percentage of wolf in his DNA and behaves primarily like a dog,” Cottrell said. “He deserves the chance to live as a pet, just like any other dog with separation anxiety.”
Laws regarding wolfdog ownership vary widely across the United States. While places like Alaska prohibit wolf dog ownership altogether, states like Florida allow it with restrictions, while Nebraska has no regulations. This legal inconsistency often leads to confusion and limits options for placing wolfdogs in need.
The Islip Animal Shelter is open to placing Bear in a home in a “wolf dog legal” condition or transferring him to a wolf dog facility that can help find a suitable placement for him. “It’s frustrating that a dog with such a low wolf percentage is still considered a wolfdog,” Cottrell said. “The shelter is willing to work with us, but is limited by the law and Bear’s classification as a wolfdog.”
“The bear is a wonderful animal and deserves a chance,” he added. “Just because he has some wolf in him doesn’t mean he can’t be a loving companion.”
