available for rent. “These are places visitors can come and experience our mountain environment as well as the wolves,” Cougar notes. “We also have packages for purchase. You can arrange for a wolf to come to the Wolf Den Lodge and greet you the evening you arrive. Or you can take a walk with a wolf, or have what I call a canine encounter, where I’ll personally take you into different habitats and introduce you to wild and exotic dogs.” All proceeds go to the sanctuary, as it is a non-profit organization. “Everything we do is to help support our mission; we want Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary to be your vacation education destination,” quips Cougar. Tours are given four times a day every day but Monday. It costs 1,000 dollars a day to keep the 70 animals living in the sanctuary fed and in good health, so Cougar is constantly on the lookout for people who want to sponsor a wolf. For more information, visit wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org.
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Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
n Western New Mexico on the Ramah Navajo Reservation – a noncontiguous section of the Navajo Nation – is a little town called Candy Kitchen, which houses a secret gem: the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. Dedicated to rescuing captive bred wolves and other exotic canines that are victims of the exotic pet trade, the sanctuary is a remote wooded area where the animals can be ensured a better life. “All of our canines are victims of being imprisoned by humans and being tortured and caged,” explains Leyton Cougar, executive director. “I will not rescue an animal unless I can improve its life exponentially. All of our animals
are in compatible pairs or family groups in different sized habitats depending on their age and activity level. The average habitat in our sanctuary is 7,000 sq. ft. per pair. At 7,500 ft. elevation, the sanctuary is fully wooded and snowy throughout the colder months” – perfect for wolfish canines. “It’s important to understand most people would never imprison a wild animal like a wolf, but unfortunately, there are some who want to possess something that’s innately wild,” says Cougar. “What ends up happening is the animal ends up getting abandoned. It’s not just wolves; we also have in our sanctuary one of the rarest dogs in the world – the New Guinea
singing dog, as well as coyotes and a fox.” Possible reasons why an animal might need Cougar’s assistance run the gamut. Maybe it’s a breeder who passed away and left all her animals in cages for her family to figure out what to do. Or maybe it’s an individual who’s reporting their cousin who’s got a wolf that’s been chained up. Or maybe it’s a wolf that’s been in a cage for five years without getting any attention but occasionally someone throws it food. The sanctuary includes a 40 acre campground with an RV park, picnic area and cabin rental. There’s also the Wolf Den Lodge, a three-bedroom home
PHOTO LEFT PAGE: ALLISON BAILEY PHOTOS RIGHTPAGE: ANGEL BENNETT