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In Spirit This page is dedicated to those who have passed....as the years go by, we face the prospect of loosing those who have been with us over the years, and their lives all too brief for our choosing, although their memories will be with us until we too go the route all living things do...
Wleasel, "special puppy" & most beloved The beautiful gray and white wolf padded up to me, tail wagging with what looked like a smile on her sweet face. Her warm amber
eyes regarded me with an intelligence that shone through them, galvanizing me on the spot. Instantly, I fell in love with
her. Little did I know that I was to become a part of her life. My visit to the Wolf Lady was a birthday present from my husband. He knew how dearly I loved the wolf, how totally fascinated
and enamored I was with this magnificent animal. He had found out through a friend about Liz, the Wolf Lady, and her family
of wolves and called her to set up my birthday surprise. Standing there with my jaw dropped down, marveling at the beauty, power and love these animals emanated, I knew that my
life was to be forever changed. Wleasel stood beside me along with some of her pack mates, Sheba and Renfield. I was amazed at how soft they were, how
sweet and friendly they acted with a total stranger. I dont think I stopped smiling the whole time I was there. I went from
one wolf to the next, patting and talking to them. I was in love. Liz told me all about how she came to be with her little family. I listened with amazement as she told me of her sacrifices
to save some of them from fates that no animal should have to endure. I watched as Wleasel, 10 at the time, lay down on the ground with her head between her paws. I reached down to pet her
and her tail responded with a happy thump thump on the dirt. I could tell that she was very smart and indeed my suspicions
were found to be correct after Liz recounted tales about her cunning ways. She told me the story of how Wleasel had been digging
under the fence one day, attempting to pull a houdini act while her mother Juno kept watch for her. Whenever Liz appeared
at the window, Wleasel would somehow get a cue from Juno and stop digging, looking as innocent as she could. Of course Liz
knew what they were up to. I found the story to be quite funny, but was totally impressed at how very intelligent these wolves
really are. We stayed for a couple of hours to visit with Liz and her wonderful family. I was totally smitten with them all. I stayed
in touch with Liz and we became good friends. It was not long after, that Liz and the wolves moved to the beautiful mountains
of North Carolina to fulfill a dream of hers to start a wolf sanctuary/educational center. You see, wolves and wolf hybrids
are illegal to have in Georgia. North Carolina has no law against them so she bought 40 acres on the side of a beautiful mountain
and began the Herculean task of building and planning for the sanctuary. One day, she asked me if I would like to be a part
of The Sanctum, the name that she chose for the project. I was overjoyed and told her I would be honored to be with her and
her wolves. I began to make plans to move to North Carolina and a year later, my dream became a reality. In July of 2002, my son and I moved from Atlanta to Spruce Pine North Carolina. I was reunited with the wolves and Liz
and began volunteering my time to help her with her dream. As the days passed, I grew closer and closer to her and the wolves.
My love affair with them grew deeper and I knew that this is what I had been missing out on. To help in any way to love, defend
and protect, and educate people about this often-maligned animal, was truly what I wanted to do with my life. I worked for weeks building the web site for the Sanctum, a labor of love and devotion. I would visit them, happy each
day to see them. Most of them came to know me and accept me as part of their lives. Needless to say, I was honored that they
would remember and greet me with a wag of a tail and a wolfie grin. Liz developed our Wolf Trek program, a project where we take our three ambassador wolves out to do educational programs
at schools, organizations, clubs and community affairs. Wleasel, VPetti and Sheba were always a hit with anyone who came in
contact with them. With good humor and gentleness I have seldom seen, they allowed themselves to be petted and fawned over
by countless adults and children. I marveled at the affect they had on people. Children, who were previously afraid of dogs,
magically took to the wolves in a way that was truly wonderful to watch. One woman confessed that her little boy had been
having bad dreams about wolves. She said he would dream about teeth and claws and awaken in a terror. He was a
little anxious at first, but as soon as he saw the gentle nature of our Wleasel, his fears were conquered and he was soon
petting her and hugging her. Wleasel responded with a gentle wag of her tail and a friendly lick as the boy smiled and
looked at his mom. It was heart warming to watch the interaction between the boy and the animal he had been so afraid
of. He and his mother both left the festival with a new outlook and respect for the Wolf. It was very satisfying
for us all to know that we had in some way, changed an opinion...a misconception about these wonderful creatures. To
us, it makes our program a complete success and a rewarding experience for everyone. I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity. It has enriched my life immeasurably and I would not trade a single
day of my time with the wolves for anything. Each of them has their own unique personality, their own unique look, their own
loving ways. Our dear Wleasel left us on a cold day in February. She passed away from cancer. All of her
loved ones were in attendance at her graveside to say goodbye. I will always remember her spirit, her charm and her
loving ways. I will remember my first glimpse of her and how she befriended me. But most of all, I will remember
what she taught me. She taught me that to love a wolf, is to love totally and completely. That when you give to
them with your heart and soul, you will get back ten fold. My life has changed for the better, having known and interacted
with Wleasel and her pack mates. I want to thank them all for that wonderful gift. The Wolf Trek Program has lost a valued and well-loved member. Sheba and VPetti will carry on with our newest addition,
a pup called Mato Ska. He is a white bundle of fur and energy that was gifted to The Sanctum for our Wolf Trek Program. He
has a lot to learn, but in time he will grow into a full-fledged Wolf Trekker and a very useful and well loved member of our
family. Wleasel, we love you and miss you very much. Happy hunting, old girl. Written by Deborah VanDyke
In April 2002, we lost two more of our family. Renfield, the 175 pound gentle giant and little Amaruk.
Rennie was old and had hip problems. It had become increasingly difficult for him to get around. That day, Rennie
was found lying down, unable to get up. Every effort was made to try to help him, but ultimately, we knew the best thing
for him was to let him go. We will miss you Rennie...you truly were the King Amaruk died of gastro-intestinal problems.
Akasha (3/11/89 - 6/23/04) The howls seems more mournful tonight. Today, we lost the Grande Dam of the Wild Bunch..... Akasha. Rasputin, her mate,
tried to tug on her as she was carried out of the enclosure she shared with him and four of her children. I did not have it
in me to go speak with him today. Deborah, in her kind gentle way, has always handled announcing the sad news when one of our babes pass. I am a private
person, who does not share my grief. But, it is only fitting that I do the memorial to Akasha,as she has had a huge impact
on my life, and contributed greatly to the creation of The Sanctum. I was on Patrol, taking a Missing Persons report on a juvenile, when I first heard Akasha's howl. After taking the report,
the woman took me next door, and there I saw her. Akasha was housed in a small 4 x 12 cage, together with another large canine
of dubious heritage. She was pacing back and forth, tromping through days of feces laying in the cage. Looking into those
beautiful eyes, I knew I could not leave her there. It was 1996, two years after Georgia had made it illegal to have
wolves and wolfdogs. I remembered a "call" in this area several weeks prior, where two wolves had escaped their confinement.
One had been shot, the other was still missing. Only one now remained.....Akasha. It took several weeks before I actually
was able to make contact with the owner. Weeks of "dropping" by in my marked Patrol Car, checking on Akasha. It was not difficult
to convince the owner, whose new wife was afraid of the wolf, that she would have a safer home with me, on a large 125 acre
farm, with neighbors far removed, and already constructed half acre to acre enclosures. And thus started Akashas and my long,
sometimes tumultuous, relationship! We put her in an enclosure with Rasputin, Renfield and Nicodemus. Ah, the interest she sparked with the three males, two
of which were already neutered. But, despite the large, lovely treed area, Akasha stayed by the fence....pacing twelve feet
one way, twelve feet the other, as if she were still in the cage. Danny, a dear friend who lived in a Tipi on the farm, would
spend hours with Akasha, playing his flute for her, just outside the fence perimeter. Slowly, she moved further. Finally,
she interacted with the others. Our joy and enthusiasm was short lived! Akasha was a far cry from our loving, social mid-content
woofers! Supposedly the first "wolfdog" litter from a woman who bred full wolves, we were not sure if she actually was a wolf "dog",
just an F-1 raised with the pack of wolves, or the product of doctored papers to get her into Georgia when "wolfdogs" were
legal. Akasha's curiosity towards humans generally involved a hesitant sniff, sometimes followed by an investigatory
"nip." She would love to sneak up on you, especially if you were in the enclosure working on the fence, and deliver one of
her little nips! Despite the original owner being able to leash her in the confines of the 4x12 cage, just forget trying to
capture her up in a large enclosure! I had to remove Renfield and Nicky, after Akasha and Rasputin ganged up on Nicky one
day and delivered numerous bites. I was furious, chasing Akasha around the enclosure, yelling! There we were, two bitches
facing off! I of course, never did come close to catching up to her. When Akasha presented a litter of seven pups, I also
quickly learned the differences between a well socialized wolfdog mom and a semi-wild wolf. With a woof-woof, she would send
the pups into hiding, away from any human contact. We kept all but two. Those two went to a home of good friends well experienced
in handling wolfdogs. The others were just too wild to risk placing into any home of an
inexperienced person, so they stayed,
becoming our Wild Bunch, and our Teachers..... Akasha was my teacher in many ways. I learned much about the wolf from her. We did have our "issues" with each other,
but resolved most of them over the eight years she was in my care. She was never one, however, that really took to humans. I always hope, that when I cross over, I can be reunited with those I have so loved and lost....Juno, Wleasel, Renny...the
others. I may catch a glimpse of Akasha...but she will be off with the wild bunch, where she belongs. Blessings, Liz (Footnote...my thoughts) This is Deborah, your webmistress. I too, was greatly saddened by the passing of Akasha. I loved to watch her
and Rasputin interact. You could tell that they loved each other very much. At first, I was a bit scared of Akasha.
Being part of the "wild bunch", she was definitely a lot less tame than most of the other wolves/wolf dogs that we have here.
As time passed, I got to know her better and found that she was a very sweet, dear heart of a wolf. She let me pet her
from time to time, though she was careful and very shy when she approached me. So it was...I began to really respect
and care about Akasha. The last time I saw her with her pack, she came up to the fence as I stood next to it, bending
low to talk to her and some of the others. I spoke to her softly and soothingly...reassuring her that I was her friend.
In response, the beautiful old girl licked my nose and wagged her tail. I smiled and was happy to have gotten such a
greeting from her. I am glad my last meeting with Akasha before her passing was so sweet and gentle. She will live forever in our hearts
and minds. She is with the others of our pack now and I have a feeling she was welcomed quite warmly at The Rainbow
Bridge. Be happy, Akasha. We will miss you until we see you again.
Akasha
RASPUTIN,
our old man, passed July 2005. He had suffered from hip problems the
last several years, and the cold winters were getting longer for our old
guy, so I dreaded the upcoming one for him. Twice before, Rasputin (Razzy) had gone "down", unable to get up for a couple of days. Once, on the third day, I had called the vet to come
out, dreading in my heart what I knew was the right thing to do for him. But there was Raz, up at the fence wagging
his tail. He was not yet ready. This time he was. So it is with both joy and sadness that I say goodbye.
He goes to join his beloved Akasha, his wild bride of many years.
ANGEL: In December 2005, we were forced to humanely euthanize Angel due to his extremely aggressive and dangerous behavior. We had hoped that the two years he had been with us would overcome the horrendous physical abuse he had suffered at the hands of humans and he could learn to trust again....but alas, the scars and violent behavior did not go away. I bid you farewell, dark Angel. Anubis: Son of Angel and Spirit and one of the Old Fort Pack moved to The Wolf Sanctum a bit over two years ago, Anubis was a tall, lanky unsocial wolfdog. He was between seven and eight years of age. Anubis was diagnosed with cancer in several of his major organs after X-rays revealed the extent of this disease, and he was humanely euthanized on May 25, 2006.
Kiowa:
In May of
2007, Kiowa was sent to the Bridge, to join her beloved Ba'Cho. She
was almost 14 years old, and had lived with our Director for almost 10
years. Often called "Nervous Nellie" as she seemed to dance in
excitement as the prospect of attention, Kiowa was a lovable social wolfdog.
She will sorely be missed by all the children who loved to pet her.
V'Petti: On December 4, 2008, we sent out beloved gentle boy to the Bridge. This past year had been difficult for Petey, with advancing arthritis making it extremely difficult for him to get up at times. An acupuncture procedure (they insert gold beads along the spine) gave a brief respite, reducing inflammation, but the improvements only lasted about six months. We knew it was but a matter of time. V'Petti was around 13 years of age, born around 1995 or 1996, the last litter born by Juno and as such, a very precious gift. Once Petey knew you, you could not ask for a more loving or loyal friend. I think he was even considered very special to all the other residents (wolf or wolf-dog alike), as they all accepted him without challenge, his gentle non-threatening demeanor never arousing any territorial displays whatsoever. Except Denali...she doesn't like any neutered males! He reluctantly followed on Wolf Trek programs as an Ambassador, taking the lead from Sheba and Wleasel. After the girls passed, his comfort level gone, we retired him from that job and eventually his advancing arthritis even made it too difficult for him to get into the car for the trips to Arby's. I know Jim Petroff (on our BOD) will especially miss Petey, for when Jim and Cindy got to visit, they spent a lot of quality time on the carpet together. As for me, I have fulfilled my promise to Juno....to always care for her children until they passed. They were indeed Juno's Gifts.
RAVEN was sent to the Bridge in August of 2009. She was the last surviving member of the Old Fort Pack, a group of four. A neurotic squirrel, she possessed quite cunning abilities. The capture of Raven and her brother, Anubis, took six months to accomplish. We had been driving down to Old Fort for six months, feeding these two as the owner had moved and we'd agreed to take them into our facility. It proved much harder than anticipated. A trap had been laid in the feed pen, so when one of them would come in to feed, the door could be sprung shut. After several unsuccessful tries (her sharp eyes would spy us), we tried a different approach...while one person hid out of sight, I got in my car and drove away. But Raven's approach to the tempting food left in the trap left us amazed...she got down on her belly and crawled though the brush and it was only a lucky break that she was seen doing this amazing feat. After darting, we rushed her to my vet's office, where emergency surgery was performed to remove a wire that had embedded itself around one of her back legs. She much preferred being housed with Anubis, and we separated brother and sister from their parents. When Anubis passed, Little Brother became her new enclosure mate. They tolerated each other well, although it never appeared they became fast friends. When Raven developed a limp in June, I put it down to a sprain at first since jumping off decks onto muddy red clay soil can be slippery and we've had one or two get sprains in the past. She even started putting weight on the limp when she was walking, so I was hopeful. But then there were some subtle changes in Little Brother's behavior that led me to believe there may be something else going on...he was staying at the gate where I handed in the chicken instead of his usual practice of taking his piece and running to his favorite spot. Almost like he was waiting to get Raven's food. Evidently there was a weakness I could not see, although she had started dropping some weight. So, off to the vet's office for X-rays. And Little Brother's behavior was confirmed....Raven had cancer. We estimate she was between 10 and 11 years of age. We know she's hooked up with Anubis and is off running around out there beyond the Bridge.
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Renfield the King and Amaruk
Mato
Justin
Pizzutillo....We
will miss our
volunteer....he
was a dedicated
animal lover and
a Friend of the
Earth.
SPIRIT.
NASHOBA.
Manitou.