Endless Suffering and the Recollection of Scarring

Sequoia had 7 of her 10 stitches out today. Apparently by the time she was finished with the 7, she decided that she had had enough for the day. We'll remove the last three tomorrow, and then, move her into the containment facility in her old enclosure.

Manu has not been doing well at all without her. His past has made him into an extremely unstable animal and now, without Sequoia, he seems to spend much of his day wandering around aimlessly and looking very confused. He also has become exceptionally testy with his care-taker, Gary.

We're semi-nervous about moving Sequoia to the containment area. While currently we believe it would be better for both of them to have some company, there is the possobility that it will make Sequoia too active as well as cause further stress to Manu. However, right now we believe this to be the best solution and it will only take time to find out if we are correct.

Watching Manu the last few days has sparked a new hurt and anger inside of me. While I grow furious each time I repeat his story to a tour, watching the long-term effects causes much more inner fury. Manu was originally bought by a young couple who thought it would be "cool" to own a wolf-dog. For the first two years of his life, he was loved. However, as he matured, they decided they no longer wanted to deal with him and so locked him in a 3x5 shed where he was pretty much left to die. By the time he was found, Manu was severely malnourished, his muscles atrophied, and his body covered in infections where he had chewed on his own skin attempting to gain nourishment by eating his own fur off of his body. Because of the severity of his neglect, Manu has suffered long-term brain-damage and will never be a normal animal.

Without Sequoia, Manu's one comfort and stability is missing. He wanders through his enclosure as though having no sense of balance. He refuses to come to the fence to receive his daily medication and food from his caretaker. He shows signs of increased agression.

While a normal animal would show some amount of discomfort at the loss of a mate, Manu is a special case. His entire world has been turned upside down once again, and the only other creature he has been able to consistently count on is missing.

One has a hard time beleiving that humans could be so cruel. Could neglect an animal to the point where he loses pigmentation in his eyes, and can no longer even lift his head from the pavement... To listen to his cries and whimpers from a shed in their backyard and completely ignore the pleas for help...

But Manu is not the only case of abuse here. All of our animals have been rescued from abuse and abandonment. People jump into the "owning" of a wolf-dog, only to find themselves overwhelmed with the complexities they did not make themeselves aware of prior to purchase. When the animal expresses the wild nature that is bound to take form, they turn to abuse to discipline the animal, or abandon the animal. In the good cases, there is an endless search for someone to rescue the owner from their new found problem... But even here, the animal is suffering.

This is why we exist. This is why our mission is to educate the public against wolf-dog breeding and ownership. While there are some responsible owners out there, they are still adding to the epidemic when they purchase a wolf-dog. If there were no buyers, there would be no breeders. And only in that case could an end be put to the 100,000's of euthanizations per year in the US alone.

Manu is a constant reminder of the suffering these animals face. Constantly we see the never-ending aftermath. And perhaps, if nothing else, this is these animals gift to us. A reminder, a rekindling of passion, a surge of emotions that help us to hold strength in our quest.