The Wolf Is At The Door, Inc.

We hear a lot of rhetoric about the rights of citizens to own whatever they choose to own. It is a part of our constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have the right to OWN.

Is this just another rabid animal rights article? Or is it possibly a wolf-dog hybrid's eye view of the subject? "Rights" brings to mind a wonderful article written in 1989 by Dr. Tom Gier, called the Wolf Hybrid Bill of Rights.

WOLF HYBRID BILL OF RIGHTS

I am a wolf hybrid. Whether I am 98% or 2% wolf, I am still a wolf hybrid. I am not a dog and I do not act like a dog, I act like a wolf. I am an intelligent, loving, independent-minded creature and as such have certain rights. The following are 10 of those rights.

1. I have the right to the permanent companionship of other wolf hybrids or dogs. I do not wish to be separated from my own kind any more than other creatures wish to be so separated.

2. I have the right to human companionship on a daily basis. If you do not want to spend time with me, then you shouldn't own me.

3. I have the right to feel safe and protected - from humans and animals alike. This protection should be in the form of a secure enclosed pen or yard.

4. I have the right to try to escape from my pen/yard BUT I have the right to be kept from escaping by my owner's daily monitoring of my "great escape" activities. I have the right to expect my owners to perform the necessary maintenance to my pen/yard to offset my attempts at escaping.

5. I have the right to the proper amount and kind of food, plus fresh water. I also have the right to a clean, safe pen/yard.

6.I have the right to daily exercise and playtime with both the animal and human members of my pack.

7. I have the right to regular and proper medical attention. I also have the right to be treated by a vet who likes, respects, and is knowledgeable about wolf hybrids. I furthermore have the right to a vet who I feel comfortable and safe with.

8. I have the right to be treated with respect and dignity even when I am doing something "wolfish". In other words, I have the right to my kind of fun, such as digging, chewing, stealing, howling, etc. After all, I am just being me. Isn't that why you bought a wolf hybrid? I do not mind being reprimanded, but if you yell and scream and/or beat me, I may start to fear and distrust you; I may also start behaving in an even more unacceptable manner.

9. I have the right to adequate shelter and protection in all kinds of weather. I know that as a wolf hybrid I am pretty tough, but I need some way to keep dry when it rains, to keep warm when it is cold, and to keep cool when it is hot.

10.Most importantly, I have the right to be loved and cherished for the intelligent, loving, independent-minded creature I am.

And the right to so very much more. These animals have no control over who breeds them, who purchases them, or where they end up. It is up to the humans involved to make absolutely sure all THEIR basic rights are provided.

In the United States PEOPLE have inalienable rights. One of these rights is to own whatever property they choose, as long as it is legal. Canines of all varieties fall into this category - property. Wolf-dog hybrids by this definition may be owned by anyone, whether they have the proper conditions to house these special animals, whether they are educated to their needs, or whether they just think it would be "cool" to own a wolf-dog hybrid. We ALL have the RIGHT to own a one.

What most people fail to understand is that with such inalienable rights come immense responsibilities. When the Creator gave us dominion over the animals, he also gave us the charge to love and protect them. Something people tend to forget so easily......

When a commitment is made to buy one of these creatures, the responsibility extends for the natural life of the animal. They do not re-home easily. Sanctuaries are full and overflowing. There is no room for the "throw away mentality" that seems so prevalent in this society in this century.

Wolf-dog hybrids are a creation of man. They had no choice in that creation decision. The wolf has an inalienable right to exist free. By the laws of this country? No. By the laws of the universe. But we adhere to the laws of this country and to the law of WANT. We want wolf-dog hybrids, and captive wolves. We take good care of them, they live in our houses, they have everything they could ever want. Right? Think about it......and look deep into their eyes.

We have given them no say in their existence. Walk a mile with them. Would you opt for the backyard, the pen, the house, the air conditioner, a chain? Or would you choose the ways of your ancestors?

Would your choice be the freedom of the midnight forest? Running silently with the moist leaves tickling your pads, knowing that ahead was the meal you had been stalking. Feeling the night wind flowing through your fur, sensing the closeness of the pack...... KNOWING the destiny that Mother Nature had set for you.

It seems that there should be another right added to the list. The right to refuse to exist in the artificial conditions set by man. They have the RIGHT to be BORN free, or the right to not BE. Grey Ghost was the most wonderful companion I could ever have asked. He had to leave this world to finally be set free, to run the night forest with the Pack...... Through my tears of loss, I can only rejoice in his freedom.

Am I suggesting that you turn your best friend out to the wilderness to fend for himself in an environment he was not raised to? Absolutely NOT! He/she would die a slow, painful death, most likely from starvation. Those that ARE have the right to the best life you can provide them........ We then need to see that no more are born, via irresponsible breeders, to the artificial world of man.

Editor's note:

This article was written in 1998. It is now 2003. The problem of over-breeding these high maintenance canines has become even more problematic over time. Many are breeding mongrel dogs and calling them WOLF-dog hybrids, exclusively to make money. You might ask why that is a problem, other than the obvious fraud involved. When others see how well behaved this 'faux wolf-dog hybrid' is, they want one too. Bragging rights, and easy to care for. If they then get the real thing, they are often in for the shock of their lives, and the animal ends up being dumped as being atypical and unstable - when it is only being true to it's nature.

Many are breeding pures, calling them 98%, and selling them to first time owners. That is disaster waiting to happen.

Breed specific legislation - naming wolf-dog hybrids a dangerous animals is being proposed in more and more areas, due to irresponsible owners and breeders. This one is special, she bred "Esquimaux Dogs" - the same animals that used to be registered with the National Wolf Hybrid Association:

http://www.wolf-to-wolfdog.org/sanantonio.htm

Many of the pups she sold ended up in rescue years prior to her arrest. "Responsible"(?) breeders sold those animals to her. Her friends continue to maintain that she was a responsible breeder.

When will the insanity stop?

WOLF HYBRID BILL OF RIGHTS

And the right to so very much more. These animals have no control over who breeds them, who purchases them, or where they end up. It is up to the humans involved to make absolutely sure all THEIR basic rights are provided.