Below is correspondence I received from a Wolf hybrid advocate, Lori Wynn, CEO of the nonprofit www.guardiansofthewolves.org.
Ms. Wynn brought to my attention that the United States Department of Agriculture policy classifies a dog/wolf mix as a “dog”, and as such must be treated as such, at least from a from a welfare perspective.[1]USDA policy states: “In the Animal Welfare Regulations, the definition of a dog includes any dog-hybrid cross, including a wolf-hybrid. Facilities must meet all of the dog requirements for … Continue reading
This classification is certainly warranted from a welfare perspective but nevertheless does not change my opinions about the risks of keeping wolf hybrids as pets.
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Good afternoon Mr. Polsky,
My name is Lori Wynn, I am the CEO of a nonprofit organization called “Guardians of the Wolves.”
I wanted to discuss the post on your website about Wolf hybrids.
A true Hybrid is a cross between a pure wolf and a dog or a pure wolf and a wolfdog. You can see a video on my website regarding a rescue we did with USFWS in Alaska with true wolf hybrids, being what is an F1. I have UC DAVIS test results to back this up.
Wolfdogs are multigenerational wolfdog breeding that began during the Korean war with fur farms, once these farms were shut down these wolves, wolfdogs and hybrids went to breeders, private homes, and conservation facilities across the US.
USDA classifies wolfdogs as domestic canine.
They are domesticated animals and social animals, as any canine can bite a human. Wolfdogs are far down the list of a breed with a bite history.
I would like the opportunity to speak with you further on this matter.
Below is my website with some great information.
Lori Wynn, CEO
Footnotes
| ↑1 | USDA policy states: “In the Animal Welfare Regulations, the definition of a dog includes any dog-hybrid cross, including a wolf-hybrid. Facilities must meet all of the dog requirements for these animals, including the “head to tail” physical exam and vaccinations. Animal Care recognizes that sedation may be required to safely handle some dog-hybrid crosses. It will be up to the AV to determine the best strategy for safely conducting annual physical exams.“ |
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