Yuki’s story starts from being abandoned at a kill shelter and ends being rescued by a sanctuary. Yuki is lucky since he got a second chance at life as his specific feature made him different from all the other pet dogs.
They had no idea that this exceptional and fascinating animal would soon become the one who saves the day. You might be thinking what made Yuki so unique, right? Well, let’s dig into the story and go way back to a decade when Yuki was still a puppy.
More Than Your Everyday Pet
It was in the late 2000s, and a family was willing to buy and raise a cute puppy as their pet. When they were searching for a dog, they found one breeder and they felt that he was the ideal dog for them.
Nonetheless, when they brought the pet, Yuki, they understood that it had some things that were not common for other pet dogs. It seemed like Yuki was so unique when compared to other dogs. In fact, they realised that Yuki’s needs and care requirements would be special.
So Big, So Fast
Except you’re a trained person relating dogs, it can be pretty difficult to ascertain how big your pet would be. It was the same with Yuki, he turned out to be bigger than they thought.
The family’s only intention was to raise Yuki as a pet dog and they never thought that it would grow up to be this big. Usually, it takes around 18 months for a dog to grow into their full size, yet Yuki was not yet one year old and it was much bigger than an average dog!
A Change in Behaviour
Although Yuki grew up to be a handsome, big dog, he also had some other awkward features that the family began noticing. Before long, the family understood that Yuki was not a usual pet dog and that he might be something else. He was getting more aggressive and it was hard for the family to control it.
Because of all its odd behaviours, they started thinking that Yuki was not a dog! Yuki was a beautiful canine, yet, the owners realised that they were not in a position to take care of him anymore.
Wolf-Like Habits
Yuki’s family understood that he would be more aggressive once he was fully grown up. It appeared increasingly stranger than the other usual pet dogs once it was growing older. Indeed, Yuki showed some usual dog behaviour first, but when he was growing old, it started to show some weird behaviour.
This behaviour was more like that of a wolf. Although wolves are some fascinating animals, they can still be vulnerable. They should live in the wild, not obviously within houses! Guess what the owners did with this big wolf-dog?
Suspicions for Yuki’s Odd Behavior
Once Yuki was fully grown, he became more aggressive. The owners were so confused without knowing what to do. They first thought that Yuki was a mix breed, but then they thought that it wasn’t a mix of other dogs, but another kind of canine.
If what they were thinking was correct, they could not let Yuki live in their home and indeed, Yuki won’t be able to live as a domestic dog as it was originally a wild animal. What did they do?
Yuki’s Backstory
When Yuki was about 8 months old, the owners took him to a local shelter. From that place, Yuki’s life would be changed. The family was seeking answers about whether Yuki was actually a wolf or not.
Brittany Allen, a senior Volunteer at Shywolf Sanctuary, told Beastly that “someone had obtained [Yuki] in some way, as a puppy. And they realised pretty quickly that he exhibited more wolf-like behaviour, versus dog-like behaviour. He ended up at a shelter, which basically wolf dogs – or any dog – that appears to be ‘Wolfy’, they kind of are put first, to be euthanized.”
Yuki’s DNA Results
Finally, it was found that Yuki was not a dog, it appeared more like a wolf than a dog. Interestingly, its DNA was a mixture of three different canine types: 3.9% German Shepherd, 8.6% Siberian Husky, and 87.5% Gray Wolf. It was like a wild combo!
Though Yuki was not able to live with its family anymore, it was a good and happy dog. What the local houses doing was killing the wolf-dogs; did it mean that Yuki was going to die as well?
Yuki’s Rescue
When Yuki was abandoned at the kill house by his family, it seemed that someone had reported the Shywolf Sanctuary that Yuki was helpless and that it needed some support. No one had an idea that what would happen to Yuki.
“He became too much for his owner and was dropped off at a high kill shelter. The shelter called us and gave us a chance to evaluate. Yuki was very obviously a high content wolf-dog so we were able to pull him and give him a home in our sanctuary,” Shywolf Sanctuary’s Director Jeremy Albrecht shared with Insider.
Shywolf Sanctuary
The reason that put Yuki in a kill house finally turned out to be the reason that saved him from getting killed. Yuki’s luck was spinning around and it seems that it got another chance to live. For that, it had to be taken to the sanctuary.
“Shywolf sanctuary is an exotic animal sanctuary. We mainly rescue animals that were bred to be pets, and ended up unwanted or abandoned for a multitude of reasons,” Director Jeremy Albrecht, said during an interview with Beastly.
Step One: Saving Yuki
“It’s really exciting when we do get an opportunity to rescue a young animal,” Director Jeremy Albrecht further shared with Beastly. Yuki was successfully moved from the shelter to the sanctuary. Yet, getting used to the new environment took a while for Yuki.
If it was saved when it was still little, it could have accustomed more easily as habits could break at that age. It was checked before transferred to the sanctuary to check whether it was healthy enough to adapt to the new environment.
Off to a Good Start
Interestingly, Yuki appeared more decent when compared to other exotic rescue animals. It was exciting to watch his behaviour. Yet still, no one could guess how well it would accustom to his new environment.
“He was in reasonably good health compared to a lot of the animals that come to us and had a very outgoing personality initially. We even considered him for ambassadorship at one point,” one of the directors of the Shywolf Sanctuary explained to Bored Panda.
Chicken, Pork, and Beef
Unluckily, people do not understand the amount of special care a wolf-dog breeds need. Even feeding could be dangerous no matter how simple it is. So the sanctuary was the perfect place for Yuki.
“They pretty much just annihilate [food] and you don’t want your fingers anywhere near a wolf’s mouth when you’re feeding it,” Brittany Allen explained to Beastly. Although these animals require special caring, that doesn’t say that these animals get spoiled. Yuki was fed with a healthy raw meal of chicken and pork by the professional animal caretakers of the sanctuary. And sometimes they just spoil Yuki with some beef.
Yuki’s Accident
Not long, It appeared that Yuki was well accustomed to the sanctuary and that it enjoyed being in there. It seemed to be happy. But there was something that would ruin his happiness.
“Shortly after arriving at Shy Wolf Sanctuary Yuki managed to catch a leg on a palmetto and opened up a wound on his right rear knee. The wound ended up taking a total of 5 surgeries to finally repair and in that time, Yuki became cage aggressive,” one of the directors of the Shywolf Sanctuary explained to Bored Panda.
Doing What’s Best for the Wounded Creature
As human beings can bear the pain to a certain extent during an injury, animals too can encounter the same thing. Yet, for the recovery, the patient should support as well, right? This was how the sanctuary treated the terrible condition of Yuki.
They gave the best thing that they could do to cure Yuki and ensured that it was healing after five surgeries. Yet, it was not the only that the sanctuary decided for the future of Yuki.
The Wonders of Wolf-Dog Breeds
Wolves are usually said to be shy animals and they don’t normally interact with human beings out in the wild in general. Yet, as Yuki was a mixture of both dogs and wolves, there is a possibility of interacting with humans as they possess dog features as well.
At the same time, they can be more aggressive when compared to normal domestic dogs as they are partly wolves. They cannot be kept as pets and Yuki was the perfect example of that.
Being Upfront About Your Feelings
“Yuki isn’t necessarily more social than pure wolves. We have pure wolves who will run away when they see new people because they are generally shy, curious animals. Yuki, however, will run straight to a new person and if he doesn’t like them will become aggressive towards them,” Brittany Allen explained to Bored Panda.
So it seemed like there were people that Yuki didn’t trust. Even though he was aggressive towards the people he doesn’t trust, he was the complete opposite of it when it comes to people who Yuki trusts. He was heartwarming and open in front of them.
15% Larger Than Other Wolf-Dogs
Once the sanctuary found out that Yuki was 87.5% wolf breed, they started to treat him differently. In fact, they treated him as an actual wolf rather than a wolf-dog when they treated and cared for him. Yuki was a little bigger than in pictures, yet still, he was a huge canine and weighed 120 pounds.
Director Jeremy Albrecht shared with Beastly, “Everybody is talking about how big he is. He is a large animal and he is probably going to be 10% heavier, 15% heavier than our other wolves that are his size.”
The Dire Wolf
As Yuki was well built and had big teeth, he was referred to as a dire wolf from Games of Thrones. The unique feature that Yuki and the other wolf-dogs at the sanctuary had was they were so lovable and mystical in their own ways. Yuki had a peculiar way of showing love to those who it trusted.
“I was nervous the first time going in with Yuki. Yuki can be dangerous; I believe it’s only five or less volunteers that we have that can actually interact with Yuki. I was able to start working with him and understanding him and he obviously allowed me to share a space with him,” Brittany Allen shared with Beastly.
Quite the Lady’s Man
Animals also have personalities as we human beings have. Yuki is quite popular for being ludicrous and he likes to play. Also, it was well known for being moody and picky with whom he lets come behind the fence with him. Above all, “he’s quite a lady’s man.”
“When I first got here, [Yuki] allowed men in his enclosure and women… And then one by one I watched him literally kick the men out of the enclosure,” Judy, another volunteer at the sanctuary who’s gotten close with Yuki, mentioned during her interview with Beastly.
Yuki’s Harem
“Yuki is one of those animals that lets you know if he wants you in his enclosure or not. He has a very small group of women that he allows in his enclosure called his ‘harem’… So I feel very blessed that I’m still allowed in his harem,” Judy further clarified with Beastly.
They could not find a reason, yet, up to now, it seems that Yuki only trusts and opens up with females. Nonetheless, interestingly, he never stops being friends with only humans, he also interacted with someone else from the sanctuary as well.
Bella the Wolf-Dog
“[Wolf-dogs] are both social with people they accept in their space, but they are very selective as well. This also applies to other wolf/wolfdog companions. They are very selective, but when they bond it is pretty unique,” Brittany Allen shared with Bored Panda.
In addition to all those female human friends Yuki had, it seemed like it was friends with a female wolf-dog named Bella. Interestingly, Bella was more domineering than Yuki even though she was smaller in size. It was cute to see them together.
Welcoming Him with Open Arms & Paws
Since his mishap with the palmetto, Yuki has been specific about who he permitted to draw near to him. Generally, however, that is very typical behaviour for any wild creature, particularly a savage creature.
Yet, all things considered, the haven was glad to greet Yuki wholeheartedly (and paws) to his eternal home at the asylum. The more that the staff became more acquainted with Yuki, the more they completely loved him! Be that as it may, they weren’t the main ones who turned out to be super enthusiasts of this wondrous wolf-dog.
The Sanctuary’s Two Main Focuses
“[Wolfdogs] definitely are creatures that demand respect. It would be a much different encounter in the wild than what I do with these guys. The animals I work with have never been in the wild and never will be, so they are more socialised,” Brittany Allen declared in an interview with Bored Panda.
The Shywolf Sanctuary mainly intends to do two things. The first one is to rescue exotic animals and ensure that they are well taken care of both emotionally and physically, specifically when they’ve never been in the wild. The second one to make the public aware of those rescue animals and breeds.
Educating Others with Adorable Pics
“We show off their adorable moments in the hope of helping people identify with them at least and maybe change their fear response into healthy respect through education. And also giving an animal a chance at a decent life when otherwise they would be euthanized,” Brittany Allen further clarified with Bored Panda.
Thus, four years after Yuki’s rescue, the sanctuary shared Yuki’s story and some cherished photos of him on social media. Yet the reactions they got were completely unexpected and astonishing.
So Much More than a Pet
Recall how we referenced that Yuki was intended to be far beyond only a pet? Well, it turns out Yuki isn’t simply unique since he’s practically 90% Gray Wolf. The 2012 post of Yuki and his photos went totally popular, and people were completely excited to become familiar with wolf-canines – particularly Yuki.
In view of Yuki, the haven began to pick up attention and had the option to spread awareness about their other salvage creatures and stories. How inspiring! Who would’ve realised that he would have such a motivating effect on the world and his community?
The Sanctuary’s Mission
For longer than 10 years, Yuki has had the option to consider the Shywolf Sanctuary a home, yet the haven has really been open for any longer than that. The organiser, Nancy Smith, had been protecting for a considerable length of time, yet it was in 1994 that she rescued her first wolves.
From that point forward, the foundation has been dealing with somewhere in the range of 20-100 wolf-canines one after another, with their main goal being “To heal hearts and minds through rescue, sanctuary, and education.”
Some Sad News
When Yuki was about 11 years old, he had spent a decade full of many touching TLC from the sanctuary. Though age 11 is quite young for us, it’s really an older age for canines. Unluckily, in 2018, Yuki got a pitiful diagnosis.
“He was diagnosed with cancer last year and unfortunately it is terminal… Yuki has been fighting it for quite a while now and is persevering so it is business as usual while we enjoy our time with Yuki,” Director Jeremy Albrecht revealed to Bored Panda.
“Their Stories Always Have Happy Endings Once They Get to Shy Wolf Sanctuary”
“Saying goodbye to one of our animals is always difficult for our staff and volunteers, and Yuki will be no different. It’s important to remember that while many of these animals have rough beginnings, their stories always have happy endings once they get to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. When their time with us is over the last thing they do is make room for our next rescue and happy ending,” Director Jeremy Albrecht inspiringly shared with Bored Panda.
The sanctuary was not ready to give up on Yuki. They have come across a similar type of diagnosis and they were quite sure that they would be able to make the best decisions for the life of Yuki.
Sponsoring the Strong Warrior During his Silent Battle
The 120-pound 12-year-old wondrous wolf-canine may be quietly doing combating a sickness, yet it’s not surrendering so easily either. Actually, the asylum posted on Facebook a little message from Yuki himself expressing that he’s not up for adoption because of his health condition, however, can in any case be supported. How sweet!
Brittany also shared with Beastly, “So far, Yuki has just been in such high spirits. He’s not showing any signs of pain. He’s an awesome animal. He’s amazing…I’m so glad that Shywolf, was able to step in and give him a home where he can just have so much affection and so much love given to him.”
The Sanctuary’s Future
It was obvious that Yuki made a huge impression in the lives of the sanctuary staff and the sanctuary. Now, the sanctuary has got several plans near the sanctuary in Florida that they plan to expand. Presently, they have raised around $20,000 funds on the GoFundMe page.
There’s no doubt that Yuki has made an impact in the sanctuary staff’s lives, as well as, the sanctuary itself. “As far as our future goes, we are trying to get to a larger property and build this a state-of-the-art facility… If I have 20 times the space I have now, then I have 20 times the ‘Yukis’ that I can rescue. And that’s what we’re here to do,” Director Jeremy Albrecht excitedly shared with Beastly.