I adopted a cute dog – but later discovered I was breaking the law when she turned out to be something very different | The Sun
A SHELTER dog with a lot of energy has turned out to be a rare wolf-dog hybrid after a DNA test revealed its wild origins.
Shannon Shuttlesworth, who manages the Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA animal shelter outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, believed she was taking in a dog when three-year-old Towa arrived last year.
She told the Pennsylvania ABC affiliate WNEP that she normally doesn’t see wolf-dogs in the state, noting that Pennsylvania law requires a special permit to care for the hybrid animals.
Shannon thought Towa may have some wolf DNA in her, but she was stunned after a DNA test found that Towa was, in fact, 40 percent wolf.
The sanctuary manager revealed that Towa had been given up by her three previous owners as they couldn’t handle her.
"She was always getting out, she was breaking windows, constantly getting out, and it's a lot," she said.
"They don't want to take care of her, and it's too much for them to handle."
Shannon said that wolf-hybrids tend to be more anxious and require additional exercise than other dog breeds.
She warned: “With their anxiety, they will destroy their house if they are not stimulated properly – physically or mentally.”
Shannon admitted: “That is just a recipe for disaster.”
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A wolf-hybrid is an animal that is a cross between a pure wolf and a dog or wolfdog.
Wolf-dogs are intelligent animals, and view themselves as leaders of the packs, Shannon said.
Lori Wynn, the CEO of the non-profit organization Guardian of The Wolves, has warned that wolfdogs can “scale a nine-foot fence like it’s nothing.”
She described the animals as “master excavators when it comes to digging,” according to a post on the Keller & Keller attorneys website.
Animal experts at the International Wolf Center have warned that wolfdogs can also be scared of humans.
The U.S. Sun has reported how pet fanatics have been left shocked when they realized the animals they homed turned out to be something else.
A Redditor thought they were adopting a white purebred German Shepherd before realizing they had got a mixed mutt.
DNA test results revealed the pup was only 25 percent German Shepherd, 25 percent Husky and 50 percent Tijuana street dog.
And, Ron Monroe was initially shocked after learning that his best friend Zeus – a wolf-hybrid dog – is in part a wild animal.
He adopted Zeus from a shelter in Rhode Island after his previous owner could no longer care for him, per the Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX.
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Ron said he knew he wanted Zeus when he saw cute snaps of the big dog.
He said: “Whether he was a wolf-breed mix or not, as soon as I saw him I needed him."
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