JOSH DOOLEY
Only a DNA test can determine if animal is pure wolf breed
The escape this week of a wolf-dog hybrid from its enclosure in rural Buford has left many Twin Lakes Area residents with questions about the mixed-ancestry animals, their safety as pets and whether they should be further regulated.
One of the problems presented by the particular wolf-dog that broke free is determining exactly what type of animal it is. Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery said when the owner was ticketed back in February following another escape, law enforcement officials weren’t certain if the animal, named “Beast,” was a hybrid or a pure wolf.
The only definitive way to determine what “Beast” is would be to perform a DNA test, which is an expensive proposition. Even wildlife experts can’t tell without sophisticated testing.
AGFC: Game commission regulations on captive wildlife
State Law: Ownership of wolves and wolf-dog hybrids
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission furbearer biologist Blake Sasse said he didn’t believe he could tell a wolf from a wolf-dog hybrid by examining the animal.
As for “Beast,” Baxter County Animal Shelter assistant manager Linda Nordrum said she believes the animal is all wolf.
“He just acted like a wolf and not like a dog,” Nordrum said, referring to her previous association with the animal. “Wolves don’t act like dogs, they act like wolves. Dogs are constantly seeking attention. Wolves stand apart and watch you.”
Nordrum became acquainted with “Beast” earlier this year in February when he escaped and, according to authorities, attempted to bite a human. “Beast” was caught and brought to the county animal shelter to be quarantined for 10 days.
“For about seven days we didn’t have any problems with him,” Nordrum said. “Then, we came in the next morning, and he had tried to escape.”
Hybrids are notorious escape artists and difficult to keep caged, according to wolf-dog enthusiasts and detractors alike.
“Beast” chewed through the bottom of his chain-link fence enclosure, bent back a metal rod and freed himself. A photograph of the damage to the cage shows the effort cost “Beast,” as well. The blood he shed to free himself is visible in the picture.
Once free, the powerful animal went to work on the front door of the shelter. The door has two outer steel plates with a foam core sandwiched in between. When workers arrived in the morning, they found “Beast” had chewed through the inner-steel plate of the door and was working on the foam core.
“He was behind three steel barriers when we left the night before — his cage, the door and the outer fence,” Nordrum said. “When we got there the next morning, he had gotten through half of what he would have needed to in order to escape.”
The escape attempt left Beast with significant damage to his mouth, paws and legs. This created yet another problem for shelter workers — where to take the animal for treatment.
“None of the vets around here wanted to treat him,” Nordrum said. “Dr. (James) Snodgrass was the only one who would treat him. It took more than 50 stitches to close up his wounds.”
One of the big problems veterinarians have with treating hybrids is no one can guarantee a rabies vaccine works on the animals. While advocates have lobbied to get the federal government to allow the rabies vaccine for dogs be recognized as reliable for hybrids, those efforts haven’t been successful, despite the fact the animals are remarkably close genetically to domestic canines.
There are no regulations in Baxter County regarding hybrids. Sasse said the state Legislature several years ago enacted laws regarding cages and insurance for hybrids. Those laws, Sasse said, are enforced by local authorities rather than the AGFC.
The only laws AGFC enforces are their regulations concerning pure wolves.