She was very intrigued, but she also noticed the strong muscles under its black coat. Looking into its yellow eyes, she realized what she was seeing and started to fear for her safety. Chills ran down her spine when she learned that the DNA tests had confirmed her greatest fear. What happened to this poor woman?!
Meet Nancy Smith
Nancy was an animal lover and created an animal rescue center to help all that she could. She had searched carefully to select the best shelter team, and these people all loved animals and wanted to assist. No one could have predicted what they might get themselves into!
Amazing Kindness
Brittany Allen was one of these team members and had worked for 10 years in the shelter. However, the new creature was daunting. She felt an odd bond, wanting to support this animal. However, when she learned the story of the rescue, it exposed the truth, and she had to face it.
Weird Call
Nancy got a strange call before going to Florida. The man wouldn’t reveal his identity but said that he needed animal care. She went to the Broward animal shelter to get the animal, and it was bigger than the man thought after she questioned him about giving up the creature.
Surprised
The man studied exotic dog breeds to understand what was expected when he took in the animal. He made sure to get a collar, pillow, and choose the right name because he was willing, though he couldn’t keep it because it continued growing.
Distress
This man could not have known how large the dog was likely to be and called Nancy to take it away. Yuki was too big for the house, so this person built a structure outside, but the animal continued to grow and grow.
Needs an Expert
Yuki grew so fast that the owner feared him. Though it was just a puppy, the features were less apparent. It had large teeth and claws that didn’t match its overall size. This poor owner realized he needed assistance and called for help!
Dire Need
Nancy listened to the man and felt sorry for him, but her shelter was full. She decided to wait and call when space was opened. However, she was called away from the animal shelter that next day with some troubling news.
Come Now
The Broward animal shelter workers had rescued countless animals, but they realized that they couldn’t do much when they saw that huge beast tied up in the yard. They called Nancy and asked her to rush over to help them give this animal a safe environment until the authorities could assist.
Huge Creature
When Nancy entered the shelter, she saw something she could never unsee. This huge beast jumped up and down in the cage, with his claws clicking the floor. It stood 5 feet tall and wasn’t a dog or wolf. When a staff member spoke, Nancy’s head spun!
Get Rid of Yuki
The staff member said that the beast was reported to be a “stray.” Nancy realized that it was the odd man who had called the day before. He had wanted to give up a dog and couldn’t wait for space to open up at the shelter, so he had abandoned him.
Angry
Nancy pitied the creature. The owner hadn’t checked hybrids before getting the pet, and this poor guy had to pay for that. Overall, she knew she had to perform a DNA test to find out what it was, but what did it show?!
Clean Health
Yuki was a Direwolf-like beast and was taken to a sanctuary. He was in good health, loved welcoming others, and was quite sweet. The team thought of him as an ambassador, even though he was intimidating. In fact, they learned he wasn’t dangerous!
The DNA Test
Nancy and the team performed a DNA test on Yuki while he was at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary. This confirmed Nancy’s thoughts and fears. In fact, it showed his true nature, which was a surprise to everyone. They’d never seen DNA results like this!
The DNA Results
What did the results say? Yuki was actually a High-Content Wolf Dog, and the breed is illegal to own in Florida. Overall, it was 87.5 percent Gray Wolf, 8.6 percent Siberian Husky, and 3.9 percent German Shepherd.
Wolf Dogs
Humans have always been immensely fascinated by this beautiful and dangerous wolf form. That means that wolf dogs are on the rise, and more varieties are popping up. However, uneducated consumers and growers want something that looks like a wolf and is faithful like a dog.
Not Toys
Most owners don’t realize that there are issues for humans and wolf dogs. These animals aren’t toys. Just like a normal dog, they need to be taken care of properly. That also means special care compared to a traditional dog.
Savage Mixture
It’s dangerous to perform a wolf-dog cross because you can’t determine which characteristics of the breeds you might get. Dogs might look like wolves but act like pets, but the opposite could be true. Therefore, many states outlaw high-content wolf dogs.
Issues and Problems
Those states that do allow them find that owners still have issues with the puppies. These animals need plenty of care, and most people don’t realize what they get themselves into and learn that they can’t take care of the pooch after they buy it.
More Everything
Wolf dogs and wolves require more room to run around and play. However, they also need more food and time with their owners, and most people don’t anticipate that. Therefore, they can’t handle them and try to give them away to the shelter.
No Place to Go
Wolf dogs are too feral and tame to go to a dog refuge, and there isn’t a sanctuary specifically for them. Therefore, they have nowhere to go. That’s what happened to Yuki, especially because he had such a high wolf percentage in his blood.
Left Alone
Nancy’s shelter had seen a rise of abandoned wolf dogs since opening the doors 20 years ago. It saved about 20 to 100 each year in the United States. However, its first rescue was a three-legged leopard, but wolf dogs are definitely more exotic and often deserted.
The Unimaginable
Nancy was thinking hard about trying to locate the previous owner of Yuki and demand answers. However, something happened before she could do that, and it changed the wolf dog’s life forever!
Getting Hurt
Shortly after coming to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary, Yuki was exploring the open space around him and unexpectedly cut his leg on a palmetto. There was a large cut on his rear right leg by the knee. This wound was deep enough that it took five operations to heal.
Becoming Aggressive
During that time, Yuki became more aggressive. It made sense because he was finally experiencing pain for the first time. That changed his character slightly, and he wondered if he could trust humans. What happened next?!
Trust No One
Yuki’s new personality started to develop because of his injury. The subsequent aggression meant that he only allowed a small group of people to enter his cage. Luckily, Brittany was one of them, and she cared deeply about him.
Internet Hit
The refugee team couldn’t know that Yuki would be such a big hit on the internet. As with many other remarkable stories, it went viral. This is definitely one of the positive things you see online – helping others in need, whether they’re humans or animals!
Becoming a Star
Brittany chose to post Yuki on the sanctuary’s Facebook page. The photo showed the animal, and he was huge compared to Brittany, who was in the photograph and stood 5’4″. Soon after the post, the picture was viral.
Genuine Shock
Nobody could believe how large the wolf dog was, and most people assumed that someone tampered with the picture. Many people didn’t know that they were a species or that they existed. That’s why they’re so rare and often sent to sanctuaries.
Brittany Responds
Brittany responded to all of the fake claims, claiming that it was his “fat angle” and that everyone had one. It wasn’t long after that, and Facebook users throughout the world posted and shared the photo. Everyone was impressed by the wolf dog.
Demands Respect
Brittany claims that these creatures automatically demand respect. It would be a different encounter if Yuki were in the wild, and she wouldn’t have been so close to him then. The animals she worked with are more socialized because they’re brought up like dogs.
Sharing with the Public
Brittany said that the sanctuary shows the adorable moments to help others see that they’re not scary and dangerous. While you need healthy respect and education, you can give wolf dogs a chance to have a decent life instead of being euthanized.
Shocking News
The images were making the sanctuary’s fans happy, but they soon got some shocking news. It turned the world upside down and changed the lives of everyone involved forever. What could have happened?!
Something Was Wrong
Yuki hadn’t been himself for a while. In fact, his mentality seemed to disappear slowly, and he didn’t eat much. He wasn’t even interested in playing with his favorite toy and staff member. What was going on?!
Running Tests
Overall, Yuki was lazing around in his bed, though he played a little sometimes. However, the team realized they needed to run tests because something was wrong with the wolf dog. He was behaving as other ill dogs would.
Terrible News
The team finally learned that Yuki had terminal cancer. They had all seen this form of cancer in other animals, but it still broke their heart. Overall, they hoped Yuki could fight it because he was a survivor.
Many Friends
While Yuki fought the cancer, the entire group spent as much time as possible with him so that he knew he was loved. That might give him the strength he needed. In fact, the team felt they were lucky to share their lives with the wolf dog.
Left His Mark
Yuki had definitely left his mark on everyone since he arrived at this shelter in 2008. In fact, he was a favorite because of his goofy and loving personality. He had won over many hearts in the 12 years he’d been there.
Something Historic
Yuki also did something historic for the Shy Wolf Sanctuary. It was something no other animal there had managed to accomplish. Overall, it was an excellent piece of news among the sadness surrounding his illness.
Still Fighting Today
Yuki is an interesting animal at the sanctuary. He’s not easy to get to know, but he’s bonded with many volunteers. His nickname is now “woowoo” because that’s the noise he makes when he sees the people he likes most.
More Help
When the video about Yuki went viral, there was a massive spike of tourists who wanted to see him, and people gave monetary assistance. Yuki definitely left his mark on everyone, and Nancy and the team are helping wolf dogs to this day.