"120 pound Mystery Dog shows up at shelter" - Sacramento

CrispyCrispy
edited May 2013 in Other Breeds
I don't know if you guys have seen this yet, but it was tossed onto the Malamute owners' page on FB and I figured that I'd share it here. The spot is right - he's certainly an attention grabber.
SACRAMENTO-

He’s an unusual sight at the City Animal Shelter; a big dog – almost 120 pounds.

“Somebody is missing a ginormous dog,” said Gina Knepp, the Manager at the Front Street shelter.

They’re not sure of his name, or even what kind of dog he is, besides a big one.

“The jury is out,” said Knepp. “Could he be part wolf? Maybe. He could be a lot of combinations of things. We won’t know for sure unless we do a D.N.A. test, which we are not going to do here.”

What they do know about the big fella, which is also part of the mystery.

“He’s not fixed. He’s not chipped. He’s not wearing a collar. He’s not wearing his digits around his neck. So we have no one to call,” added Knepp.

The big guy is housed in the largest single pen the shelter has, and he’s eating at least four times as much as regular dogs.

He’s also very popular. A single Facebook post reached more than 37,000 people the first day it was up, just not his owner. Yet.
Video here:
http://fox40.com/2013/05/22/animal-shelter-perplexed-by-giant-mystery-dog/

I'm kind of upset that they threw in the "wolf" word for a dog getting this much attention/press. It seems a little irresponsible to me, especially when he just looks like another wolfy-looking dog (no matter how particularly wolfy he is in the face). Even if the dog does have wolf heritage, it seems like a bad idea to mention that in a news cast, imo.

I hope he has a happy ending. With his coat that nasty, it looks like he's either been missing a long time or he wasn't well looked-after.

Comments

  • mdokicmdokic
    edited May 2013
    OOOH. MY. GOODNESS. he's so adorable!!! i hope he has a happy ending as well. man i just want to give him a giant hug ^_^

    you're 100% right though...throwing in that word was not a great idea... :/
  • HeidiHeidi
    He looks kind of wolfy. Could be. I'm disappointed that they didn't talk about his temperament or what kind of home he would fit into. If they're serious about finding him a home, then that's what they should do. He's getting a lot of attention, but at this point, they're most likely attracting people who want the novelty of a huge dog that looks like a wolf.
  • Kuma123Kuma123
    I just love him! He's gorgeous and he looks like a sweetheart! I loved watching him play in the water :)
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    I'd give him a home...
  • CrispyCrispy
    edited May 2013
    @Kuma123 OMG. I love watching him in the pool. He looks like a goof.

    @brada1878 git 'im.


    I do think he has quite a bit of Malamute in him. His expression and temperament (from what I saw in the video) seem very "Malamute-y" too me.
  • Kuma123Kuma123
    edited May 2013
    @brada1878, so would I but I am too far away :(
  • HeidiHeidi
    Brad.... doooo ittttttt
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    He could be a wolf dog, or just a malamute mix with a wolfy look. Handsome dog.

    I'm puzzled by how "ginormous" he is though. My AA is 110 pounds, and I don't consider him a huge dog, as there are plenty bigger than him.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    If someone can pick him up I'll take him... But there is no way a rescue will let me, a breeder, adopt him.
  • souggysouggy
    Looks like a typical mutt from up here. About the same size too.

    Kind of stupid they label anything agouti which doesn't have a curly tail and prick-ear as a wolf cross.
  • okironokiron
    I'd offer to pull him for you but I'm sure with the media spotlight they'd be extra picky with who he goes to. Small kids + rental that says no to any breed he may be so I know I'll be disqualified.
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    Looks like a typical mutt from up here. About the same size too.

    Kind of stupid they label anything agouti which doesn't have a curly tail and prick-ear as a wolf cross.
    I hear you. In Alaska everyone said the same thing about dogs like this. Though there is something a bit more "wolfy" in the face than usual, but I only watched like 30 secs of the video.

    It would be cool if someone could get him and then have Brad take him, but a lot of us are pretty far away....

  • sjp051993sjp051993
    Seeing that he is just in the city shelter, they might not be as picky as a rescue group. They also might not be concerned about him going to a "breeder" if he is neutered. If the shelter neuters him then that would save you a bunch of money.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    @brada1878 ill pick him up if you want me to. My guess is American Indian Dog. We have many of them here.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    PS with Koda down I'm here this weekend.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    If you can I'll give him a home or find him one
  • okironokiron
    Seeing that he is just in the city shelter, they might not be as picky as a rescue group. They also might not be concerned about him going to a "breeder" if he is neutered. If the shelter neuters him then that would save you a bunch of money.
    I don't know about Sac shelter specifically but for OC shelter they required proof of ownership or rental lease when adopting a dog.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    @brada1878 I can call. I'd just have to get him in and out of my home quick. Mika is not too welcoming with dogs right now with Koda injured. She's pretty protective of him.
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    Good news for him. I called the shelter and he has a whole list of people and rescues wanting him. Odd but they want to hold onto him because they want to find the owner and what breed he is.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    @tjbart17 - I figured that'd be the case, with all the media coverage. Thanks for calling! :)
  • tjbart17tjbart17
    It's still odd that they are more concerned with finding out his breed than getting him into a home.

    I called my friend Michele to check him out. She lives 15 min away from that shelter and her response to the video was the same as mine. He looks like all the American Indian dogs we have out here.
  • cdenneycdenney
    They could be concerned with breed if wolf mixes are banned in your state. now that he's been "identified" as a maybe wolf mix if they are illegal they have to destroy him.
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    They could be concerned with breed if wolf mixes are banned in your state. now that he's been "identified" as a maybe wolf mix if they are illegal they have to destroy him.
    That's what I thought. He could be a low percentage wolf dog. Terrible if that's what they want to do, but if they ever find the person who owns him, which seems unlikely, surely that person would know better than to admit what he was.

    (My mother had wolf dogs, one very high percentage wolf, and she always said "oh malamute mix; I don't really know." And one of hers was seriously wolfy.)

  • sukoshi_momsukoshi_mom
    edited May 2013
    I saw him on the Sac City Shelter website, which is one of the websites I monitor for Shibas. Was kind of surprised about the "possible wolf" comment in his description at the shelter. Good possibility a rescue like NorSled will take him. (norsled link: http://www.norsled.org/)

    On the plus side, the PR from this may help other dogs at the shelter get adopted.

  • tjbart17tjbart17
    Wolf mixes are unfortunately not illegal. We have a jackass in my town breeding wolf mixes. My grandmother had a wolf pup who got hurt and left behind for about a year but we made sure it didn't mix. :-p
  • sukoshi_momsukoshi_mom
    Update from the Sacramento Bee:

    Dog-wolf hybrid at Sacramento shelter may go to animal sanctuary
    By Bill Lindelof
    blindelof@sacbee.com
    Published: Friday, May. 31, 2013 - 7:08 am

    A gentle, big dog at the Sacramento city animal shelter that experts say has a bit of wolf in him may be sent to a sanctuary in Southern California.

    "We had him evaluated by a wolf organization called Never Cry Wolf," said Gina Knepp, shelter manager. "He is on the low spectrum, less than 25 percent wolf. So he does have wolf in him, according to the experts. How much? We don't know without DNA testing."

    Knepp said she has never encountered such a hybrid dog in her tenure with the city animal shelter.

    The dog was recently found wandering the street around 58th Street and 21st Avenue near Tahoe Park. Weighing about 100 pounds, the dog is a bit underweight for his frame, Knepp said.

    While numerous breeders for dog-wolf hybrids can be found online, it is illegal to possess a first-generation dog and wolf hybrid in California without a permit, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Permits are not granted to own such animals as pets, but for other uses, such as educational purposes.

    The state does not require a permit for hybrids that are second generation and beyond.

    Knepp said it is hoped that the dog found to be part wolf at the city animal shelter will go to Wolf Connection, a sanctuary that has 26 similar animals.

    Troubled youths are helped at the ranch by caring for and connecting with wolves and wolf dogs.

    "With the help of the animals, young men and women reconnect with nature, learn to be of service by responsibly caring for another being," states the group's website. "The animals help them focus on their impulses, feelings and emotions in a constructive way."

    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/31/5461223/sacramento-animal-country-officer.html#storylink=cpy
  • SayaSaya
    The sanctuary's FB page looks like the dog is doing well.
    https://www.facebook.com/packnews
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    Thanks for the update!
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