News, Winter 2009/2010, page 2

Volunteer of the Quarter - Barbara English

Shaman -- Dealing With Loss

Grieving the loss of a loved one is never an easy experience. Unfortunately here at Wolf, it is an all too frequent necessity. It pains us how we must say goodbye to yet another friend. As the residents grow older we have to remind ourselves that the average life-span for large domestic canines is only 8 to 12 years of age and only 7 to 9 years of age for wild wolves. With the care given at Wolf, we have experienced averages much higher than these.



While we struggle with the passing of all individuals who have resided at the Sanctuary, Shaman’s may be the straw that is trying to break the camel’s back. So how do we cope when unexpected tragedy strikes? We remember and cherish. We remember all the wonderful, humorous, frustrating and inspirational experiences each wolf gifts to everyone who has ever had the opportunity to gaze into their eyes. We cherish the opportunity to have known each magnificent spirit and feel honored to have been given the opportunity to make a difference in their life.

Due to his outstanding personality and very social nature, Shaman endeared himself to hundreds if not thousands of individuals who visited or volunteered at Wolf over the years. These qualities made him an outstanding subject for many TV shows and documentaries and he seemed to love being the center of attention. He was genuinely interested in every human visitor and was not afraid to check you out and demand your attention -- not that you could possibly ignore his magnificent beauty or massive size.

When he wanted to be scratched you had better be quick or you were going to receive a demanding whack from one of his front paws -- he could leave welts from his large claws, without ever intending to hurt you. He was also very persistent about welcoming you into his pack with a scent rub. Many humans were folded in half by Shaman as he put his front paws on the back of your shoulders in order to rub his neck on the back of your head. Although this was a bit intimidating for many folks, it was a true honor. There are very few humans who get invited into a wolf pack. Although very strong and definitely in charge, he could also be very gentle when it was appropriate.

On a number of occasions Wolf has had seriously ill or handicapped visitors and Shaman would intuitively change his entire approach. Although still very interested in meeting the new folks, his indoctrination of them was very sensitive and caring. Indeed, he seemed to approach these individuals with deliberate intent to help them. More than a few individuals left Wolf feeling much better than when they arrived.

Shaman was also very good at letting you know when he did not like what you were doing. Although he got his message across very quickly by baring his teeth at you, it was not quite as dramatic as most humans assumed. He was simply saying, “please don’t do that”. There was very little threat of him actually using his teeth -- especially because the message was so clear.

While our last newsletter was at the printer things changed rather radically in Shaman’s condition. On Thursday afternoon (24 Sep) it was discovered that Shaman was struggling to get his back end up. Steve helped him to the water and he drank quite a bit. His vitals were checked and he was given some pain meds. The next morning he seemed to be doing better and had moved down by the front gates. However, as the morning progressed he was lethargic and breathing deeply and rapidly.

Priscilla (one of our vets) was contacted and examined him in the late afternoon. By the time she arrived he seemed to be doing much better and his breathing had returned to normal, even though he was still lethargic. When he did try to get up he had significant trouble but did make it up. His rear left paw was knuckling under (a sign of neurologic issues). Priscilla’s exam and communication with him indicated that his back end issues were more serious.



It was quite evident that he had myelopathy or a degeneration of the myelin sheath that surrounds his nerves. There is basically no remedial treatment for this disease, only pain management. He was obviously not ready to leave yet and was showing improvements over the next two days. However, every time he got up to change positions it seemed to cause very deep rapid breathing.

In the middle of writing an email update on his condition to the Wolf Board of Directors on Sunday night, Frank went to give Shaman his night meds and found he had passed away. He passed somewhere between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm.



Over the years we have been forced to refine our spiritual beliefs based on the number of wonderful friends who have passed at the Sanctuary. We have experienced how truly beautiful their spirits are and how much they had to teach the humans who were willing to listen to their lessons. We have experienced how individual each of their personalities were and the nuances of their unique approach to the paths they were on. We have experienced amazing changes in the emotional and physical conditions of humans who have connected with these animals. Shaman was and is an excellent example of these concepts.

His loss has hit everyone who knew him very hard, we truly believe Shaman’s spirit lives on and is doing absolutely fantastic on the other side. We know that we are better humans because of the lessons he taught us and we are grateful for all the wonderful memories he leaves us with simply for having been a part of his life.

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