Rescued wolf-dogs find home

EDINBURG - The saga of the homeless wolf dogs may end happily after all.

A North Texas man who is an authority on wolf dogs says the unsocialized hybrids kept at Palm Valley Animal Center in Edinburg are likely only 5 percent or 10 percent wolf and can be placed as pets with understanding owners, shelter officials said Monday.

After the man's visit on Friday, a North Carolina wolf rescue agreed to take them for "rehabilitation," said Victoria Villanueva, a board member at Palm Valley. So, the animals are saved from euthanization.

"We got lucky," Villanueva said. "We're hoping by the end of this week we'll be able to coordinate a transport out to the rescue."

The Edinburg shelter took in the animals more than five weeks ago from a Mission woman who could no longer afford to care for them.

Many shelter dogs are euthanized after a three-day waiting period, but officials there chose to isolate the wolf dogs and look for ways to save them because of their unique breed.

In North Carolina, they will likely be placed with foster families who know what to expect from wolf dogs, said Melissa Greene, head of the sanctuary, Wolf Dogs Angels Rescue Assistance.

Three of the dogs will live with her in Eden, N.C., she said, and the other six also split into groups of three and placed with two other families. After six months of living in those foster homes, she hopes to find families to adopt those that have adapted well to living with humans.

"They are low enough percentage wolf that I think they'll be just fine," she said. Either way, she said, they will be able to stay at her sanctuary and will not be euthanized.

Palm Valley is looking for donors to help cover the cost of the dogs' relocation, Villanueva said. Those interested in donating, can call the center at (956) 686-1141.

Mixing wolves and their domesticated cousins is condemned by most veterinary and animal welfare agencies in the United States; in fact, the practice is banned in several states.

But some owners prize the animals anyway.