Made me sick; how can we stop this? - Page 1

Today was one of thoses days that made me totally ill.  Stupid me walked right into it.  ------- The i don't like it, but live with it scenario:  "Breeder" has 4 mating pairs, plus another dog (9 in all).   ------ The makes my stomach do a leap in heart scenario: This breeding facility is on 1 acre, (including house), where all dogs live in a kennel.  -------- The made me sick scenario: These dogs are either malamutes (sp) or American timber wolves.  Yes, you read it right.  At least 4 wolfs living on a single acre; all unfixed; males, females, I no longer had the stomach to ask.   If this did not make you sick - they were selling 9 week old puppies on the side of the road.  Odd,  all puppies were sound asleep with traffic going by with 15 feet.  Pick one up, check it teeth, eyes; puppy woke up, but still no energy.  As soon as you put puppy back down in play pen with siblings, it goes right back to sleep.  Tell me they were not drugged!    It gets better.  The adults are kept in 6 foot high kennels.  If you are not familiar with wolves, lets just say this is like keeping an intacked GSD in a 4 foot high kennel 24/7.  Let me know how that works.  The dogs correction if it gets out?  Chained for "1-2" days in their kennel.  --------  What are my options?  I could call the authorities; owning a full blood wolf is against federal law, maybe?  I guarantee all the wolves would be PTS.

My first reaction would be - better dead than living like that for a wolf. And what about those pups, what is going to happen to them and the families that buy them?

There are worse things than dying IMO, and one of those is living in hell for years on end. You could perhaps come at it from a different angle and contact a wolf sanctuary first, and see whether they would be prepared to step in if you called the authorities, or they might even be prepared to investigate and bring in the authorities themselves, and take the wolves.
I don't know what your laws are with wolves in the US, in the UK you have to have a special license, so if these 'people' haven't got one (which I doubt) then they must be breaking some law. I think I would be contacting a wolf welfare/rescue organisation for some advice on how to proceed.

HTH

Texas is a state where you can keep just about anything.
You need to call animal control on them. The pups were probably not drugged, but malnourished.
Do them a favor and reprt them.
Even tho you can legally own them, you MUST provide proper care.
MAKE THE CALL...

To my knowledge there is no rescue or sanctuary in the US.  Our wonderful Pres has taken them off the endangered list.  Research what is happening in Yellow Stone National Park where everything should be protected.   I will research today though.  I know the Texas laws are by county on what you can and can't own.  For example, in my county, you cannot own coyotes or even a hybrid, but you can own a hybrid wolf with special license.  -------- Anything I do is going to come down to my word against hers.  I had no witness for our conversation, except for her family.  She could simply say she never met me or talked to me.  --------  I am also only going on a gut instinct that something was wrong.  For all I know, the dogs are in the lap of luxury.  ----- if there is no place to go, I know the authorities will PTS them all, only because they are wolves.  No one will look at their living conditions or put too much effort to getting the woman's side.  When it comes to wolves in cattle/horse country, it is "shoot first and ask questions later."

OMG, there are a lot of rescues coming up on the Internet.  I will start calling writing today.   

Wolves are accomplished escape artists. I recall someone on this forum who rescued a hybrid, and the animal went over the fence he/she used to keep their dogs secure like it was nothing! (They did the right thing, and donated the animal to a sanctuary, which was what they'd intended to do when they resuced it.) I also remember Cesar's special on wolves/wolf dogs, and most of the owners had the same problem with the animals escaping.

For that reason, I'm thinking these animals might be malemutes rather than wolves And it could be the puppy is just malnourised, full of parasites and anemic, not drugged. 

I wish you the best of luck advocating for those poor animals. Do they even have doghouses or shade in their kennels?   

Fawn, as long as they are 1% dog they are not illegal to keep, and it is difficult to tell the 1%. The huskys that you see are enough for them to be able to tell the authorities that they have that 1% dog in thembut they have to be able to back it up with genetics and comprehensive pedigree. Ultimately tho it relies on the owners honesty
. Wolves are not on the "Texas Dangerous Animal List" http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/txstatutes/HS/10/822/E/822.101

Texas

Category: L

Summary of Law: No person may possess a dangerous wild animal without first obtaining a license (certificate of registration). Dangerous wild animals are defined as lions, tigers, ocelots, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, bobcats, lynxes, servals, caracals, hyenas, bears, coyotes, jackals, baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, or any hybrids of the animals listed. However, there are no requirements for a person possessing all other animal not listed above, such as monkeys, wolves etc.

Citation:TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. § 822.101-116; TEX. LOC. GOV'T CODE ANN. § 240.002(a) and § 240.0025

So then you look at the TPW and find this

Texas Under Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Section 63.102, "No person may possess, transport, receive or release a live wolf in this state." Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 62, Subchapter F prohibits a person from killing or attempting to injure a dangerous wild animal, including wolves or wolf hybrids, that are held in captivity or released from captivity for the purpose of being killed. It is also a violation to conduct, promote, assist or advertise a "canned hunt." Wolf Hybrids are not regulated at the state level; however, some counties and municipalities have local regulations regarding these animals.

If you can find a straight answer good luck but we had a breeder here in this county and as long as he could prove his wolves were 1% dog he was fine. He was on the lot next to mine and when they would start howling it drove me nutz! I will have to say tho that the fences were 7 ft fences with hotwire and barb wire around the top.. poor creatures wore trenches in the dirt pacing :(

 

Ugh.  Texas laws do not cover wolves.  So technically, the woman is doing nothing wrong.  I can't prove the puppies were drugged.  There is nothing, other than common sense, to say a 6 foot tall fence is not enough.  She lives in the country, so there is nothing to say she has too many animals.   ----  Honestly, I have nothing to support any call I make.  Here is the Texas law:     

Texas

Category: L

Summary of Law: No person may possess a dangerous wild animal without first obtaining a license (certificate of registration). Dangerous wild animals are defined as lions, tigers, ocelots, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, bobcats, lynxes, servals, caracals, hyenas, bears, coyotes, jackals, baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, or any hybrids of the animals listed. However, there are no requirements for a person possessing all other animal not listed above, such as monkeys, wolves etc.

Citation: TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE ANN. § 822.101-116; TEX. LOC. GOV'T CODE ANN. § 240.002(a) and § 240.0025

I did not see the home, just the sale on the side of the road.  Honestly, it looks like there is nothing I can do that will not cause more harm than good.         Maybe I am wrong; maybe they are good owners.    Again, I was the stupid one to stop and look and hold and ask questions.