When I first started volunteering at Wolf, it was a commitment I made to myself more than anything else. I was hoping that by committing to something bigger than myself, I would improve my own life, without much thought given to what it would mean to anyone else. Initially, volunteering at Wolf meant being able to be outdoors in a wonderful setting, doing physical labor that meant something to me physically, and emotionally as well, in that it allowed me to interact with some amazing animals and awesome people.

In a larger sense, however, I was helping work toward a much larger cause that I truly believed in, yet knew very little about I realized as I learned more. I have been awestruck by wolves for as long as I can remember. I was thrilled at the opportunity to volunteer with Wolf, just solely for the purpose of being near these amazing animals. I had no idea what was involved in volunteering there and was thrilled to find that in addition to daily chores, we got to have “animal time”. I figure this as an extra bonus, as while initially volunteering was about healing myself emotionally, it now is to support a greater cause, to be a part of something bigger than myself.

Only recently, did I garner a total appreciation of what it really means to volunteer at Wolf. This happened when we had to move off site four of the animals that many volunteers, I believe, feel make Wolf what it is. Discussion by staff about the livelihood of the animals had been weighed and a very tough decision was made by the staff that was hard to swallow by staff and volunteers alike. Like many people, initially I didn’t necessarily understand the reasoning until I thought it through and saw for myself why the choices that were made were made.

You see, running an organization like Wolf is very hard work, and it isn’t about us and what we reap from our time up there. The main purpose of Wolf is about protecting the lives of as many animals as possible. And yes, while moving the animals was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done, I absolutely think it was the best choice possible for the lives of the animals that were moved AND the lives of the animals at the sanctuary.

I know by seeing with my own eyes that there is no way that the animals many of the volunteers have suggested we move rather than Samantha, Sky, Lakota and Nugget, would never survive the move. And, while it is not ideal that the animals had to be moved I know that they are being well cared for by the volunteers at TWAS and I am thankful that we had this option because if we had not, we would have had a much more onerous task of finding placement for 34 for animals, or worse yet, euthanizing them.

In Memory of Kenai

Kenai was soon a favorite of all Wolf visitors. He had a very unique, unforgettable way of greeting people. It started with a mad scent rub all over your head and back, or legs if you weren’t sitting down. This was soon followed by a not-so-gentle bite on the back of your head. If he really liked you, this could continue for a long time. It could also be accompanied by a nip to your armpit if your deodorant smelled delicious. Once all the visitors were thoroughly “Kenai’d”, he would sit next to you and demand scratching until your arm almost fell off. If you stopped, he would whack you with one of his giant paws to start again.

Unfortunately, Kenai developed hypothyroidism, which significantly decreases metabolism and causes coat issues, among other things. At his best, Kenai weighed 160 pounds. He had terrible skin and coat problems, losing most of the fur from his tail until it looked like a bottle brush. He took thyroid meds for years with no relief. We loved him anyway, as this all just added to his over the top personality.

In December, staff noticed Kenai appeared to have blood in his urine. He was also lethargic and not acting himself. Antibiotics were started, but he continued to get worse. We took him to VCA on December 6 th , where test determined he was suffering from both idiopathic thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia, which together cause Evan’s Syndrome. These big, silly words mean his body was destroying his red blood cells and platelets. Treatment had a low success rate and required hospitalization, blood transfusions and serious medications. We could not ask Kenai to go through that. He came home to his pack and territory.

It snowed the next evening; we found him wet and cold and brought him to the house. Kenai collapsed every 50 feet and needed a 10 minute break before walking, with assistance, again. Luckily, he was more comfortable in the house.