FB/IG Yuki the Wolfdog
Yuki was a pup, a very large pup, when he was abandoned at a Florida kill shelter in 2008.
Eleven years later, the massive wolfdog that’s captured hearts and imaginations, is an internet star. Yuki can mean happiness and is also a word for snow in Japanese.
But Yuki the mammoth wolfdog may not have much longer to live.
Here’s the story of the wolf-dog who has lived his life in a sanctuary in Naples, Florida:
1. Dumped at a Kill Shelter at 8 Months Old, Florida Authorities Suspected the Animal Was a Wolfdog
The story goes that the Shy Wolf Sanctuary received a phone call in 2008 from a man who said he had a wolfdog and needed it gone. He claimed a friend at boot camp in North Carolina purchased it and then the animal was given to the man who called, and who said he had brain cancer and as the animal was “much larger than he had anticipated it growing,” could not handle it.
The sanctuary could not help the man “immediately,” and so it was left as a stay at a Broward County, Florida dog pound. Authorities there called Shy Wolf and sent photos.
“There was no doubt that the dog had been dumped at the shelter when we were not immediately able to solve this man’s ‘problem,'” Shy Wolf Sanctuary explains on Yuki’s bio.
They traveled from Naples, Florida east across the state to retrieve the animal and soon learned that it was far more wolf than dog.
And a huge wolf at that.
2. Yuki’s DNA Showed he Was More Than 87 Percent Gray Wolf With Some Husky & Shepherd Thrown in the Mix
Sanctuary owners “immediately knew he was higher (wolf) content than initially suspected.”
After DNA testing, it was learned that Yuki is 87.5 percent Gray wolf, 8.6 percent just under 4 percent German Shepherd. So for intents and purposes, Yuki is more wolf than dog. Way more.
Bringing the creature back to Naples and the sanctuary of the sanctuary, it was placed in isolation so it could be checked out medically and be neutered. Sanctuary staffers described the wolf-dog as having an outgoing personality and thought perhaps it could serve as a sanctuary ambassador. It was not long before the animal they’d named Yuki showed its more wild side.
Yuki “showed his ‘other side,’” when placed in an enclosure in the rear of the Sanctuary peppered with palmettos, the wolfdog “peeled the skin back on his right rear knee.” It’s not clear how or why the wolf did that to itself and there’s been speculation it was a behavioral reaction to being caged, which may or may not be the case, Sanctuary staff took Yuki to a vet ER where the serious wound was stitched up and “underwent four more surgeries to repair that leg.”
But Yuki ripped at the stitches and “became very cage aggressive.”
3. While Yuki Was Called a ‘Ladies Man’ & a ‘Ham,’ His ‘Mr. Hyde’ Side Emerges. The Creature is a Wild Animal After All
According to his bio on the Sanctuary website, Yuki is “very much a ‘ham’ and loves to be the center of attention. He has shown us that he doesn’t like to hear ‘no,’ doesn’t like to be restrained or controlled in any way, and does have a number of triggers.”
Not surprising given Yuki is essentially a wild animal.
The Sanctuary explains that “…volunteers need to be able to read his body language and react quickly as he doesn’t always give a warning when ‘Mr. Hyde’ is going to appear. Yuki is a ladies man and a select group of female volunteers have been allowed in what we call his ‘harem.’ It is an honor and at any given time he can decide someone is kicked out of the harem, and sadly for the volunteer, it usually means they are out for good.”
Yuki has though “met his match in little Bella,” a wolfdog he hangs out with. “She can and does take food right out of his mouth.”
3. Yuki is a Social Media Star
“This is what he does when he feels he needs to defend his person,” writes Sanctuary worker and apparent close mate of Yuki’s Brittany Allen. “He does this a lot with his enclosure mate, Bella. When they start playing he checks in with me to make sure nobody touches me, or his other loved ones. He’s a very unique boy. ❤️”
Allen shares dozens of photos and videos of Yuki on Instagram and Facebook.
Allen frequently responds to questions and comments about the wolfdog, who weighs in at more than 120 pounds.
4. At Age 12, Yuki Was Diagnosed With a Terminal Blood Cancer. But Allen Says Yuki is in ‘Very High Spirits’
Allen posted on Instagram in response to people curious about Yuki’s health that he was “recently was diagnosed with blood cancer and we are doing everything we possibly can for him. ?”
Allen writes that the news is heartbreaking but “…so far he is in really good spirits and is playing and eating normally. But we are monitoring him closely for any changes.”
Yuki just turned 12, Allen said. The diagnosis is “sad news for sure. He is very dear to my heart, and others as well. ❤️”
Wolves live to around age 8 in the wild. Husky’s can live up to 15 years and Shepherd’s around 13 years, tops.
“As of right now he has very high spirits and wants to play a lot and he’s eating normal but yes, what he’s battling is pretty serious. So we’re constantly monitoring every little change,” she wrote.
5. A Unique Sanctuary in Need of Funds, Sponsor Yuki & Help Shy Wolf Find a Bigger Home
A GoFundMe campaign was begun to help Shy Wolf relocate from the ‘backyard’ it’s been operating out of for decades.
“So you love Yuki as much as we do? Well, there are a lot more Yuki’s out there that need rescuing but to do it we need your help. Since 1993 we have been on 2.5 acres, essentially in a backyard in a residential area. We’ve made the best of it, but it’s time for us to do more. For the past few years, we have been saving, planning, and positioning ourselves to relocate to a much larger property here in Southwest Florida. A property that would give us the opportunity to expand what we do, and as I said, rescue more Yuki’s. Thank you in advance for your help, the public’s outpouring of love for Yuki has touched all of us at Shy Wolf Sanctuary. Thank you.”
You can also donate here.