Remembering Shy Wolf Sanctuary's Beloved Residents Who Left Their Paw Prints in Our Hearts

Shy Wolf Sanctuary, Education and Experience Center, has served as a home to hundreds of rescued animals since it was established in 1993 while rescuing hundreds of others that never stepped foot on the property. With its years of experience, Shy Wolf Sanctuary has continuously shown its tenacity to adapt and rise through any struggles in order to provide the necessary care for all animals in need. Despite these experiences, one thing that the sanctuary will always find difficult is saying goodbye to its beloved residents.

"No matter how many years it has been, it really never got easier," said Deanna Deppen, Executive Director of Shy Wolf Sanctuary. "The friends that we lost will always be remembered for touching the hearts of the people around them, both volunteers and our sanctuary visitors."

Yuki, the sanctuary's most famous resident wolfdog, took the internet by storm for the second time in 2019. Still fondly remembered to this day, Yuki went viral when volunteer Brittany Allen posted a photo of her cuddling Yuki on Reddit and her Instagram account. Another volunteer, Christa Fagliarone, had initially introduced him to Reddit to a lesser degree. People who saw the photo were shocked to see Yuki's ginormous (and very huggable) size as compared to Brittany, to the point where some even accused her of photoshopping. The wolfdog did appear much larger than he was in real life because of the photograph's perspective. Later, Yuki gained internet buzz again when he was called a real-life 'Direwolf' from the popular HBO Max series Game of Thrones

Yuki's sudden rise to stardom paved the way for sharing Shy Wolf Sanctuary's mission of raising awareness about wolfdogs and other captive-bred exotic animals on a much larger scale.

Yuki was rescued by Shy Wolf Sanctuary in 2008. He was surrendered to an animal shelter at 8 months old when the sanctuary stepped forward to take him in. His story of survival, thriving and learning to trust again reached and inspired many people. He was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2017 and was put on an immune supplement for 3 years until he left peacefully in his sleep. He lived an incredible and happy 13 years of life.

Another resident animal we commemorate is Tien, one of the sanctuary's sweetest and most friendly wolves. He served as Shy Wolf Sanctuary's ambassador for many years, greeting and interacting with new visitors and making them feel loved by giving his well-known 'wolf kisses.' He loved going out to meet new people, accompanied by volunteers on many educational outreaches, and touched the lives of thousands of people during his lifetime. When Tien was alive, he was also granted a wish by a cancer-stricken woman named Gladys. When asked by her daughter what she wanted for her bucket list, Gladys said she wanted to hug a real-life wolf before her disease overwhelmed her. Shy Wolf fulfilled this wish by introducing her to Tien, allowing her to see and hug him for a very special and memorable moment.

Tien was one of three pups seized by the Fish & Wildlife Commission at three weeks of age. FWC had been called to a private licensee's property to investigate a complaint of dead and dying animals. They did find a deceased wolf in an enclosure and instructed the woman to remove the body and clean up the property. Thirty days later, they returned to check out the situation, only to find three pups in a den in neglectful conditions. The pups were turned over to FWC and brought to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. Tien was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and underwent chemotherapy. The following year, his cancer became too much for his body to handle, and he left to be in a better place, surrounded by his beloved volunteers.

Last but not least was one of the sanctuary's most recent losses, BobLeo the Bobcat. BobLeo was not the friendliest of Shy Wolf's residents, but this made the moments when he warmed up to seek head scratches extra special. He was frequently seen snuggling with his best friend Boomer, a domesticated cat when the weather became a little colder. These two were known for having one of the tightest bonds and friendships in the sanctuary after living together for almost 10 years. BobLeo was secure enough in who he was to pose for the Curious Critters children's books with a white background and was featured as the model bobcat in several of the state-specific books by David FitzSimmons.

Shy Wolf Sanctuary first met "Leo" in 2011 when contacted by his owners, who were no longer able to care for him. At 9 years old, he had lived in a house with other domestic cats. The initial transition to Shy Wolf was difficult for a cat who had never been around other larger animals nor had stepped foot outside. In their efforts to help Leo adjust, volunteers changed his name slightly and adopted a friend for him from the Humane Society of Naples named Boomer. On December 11, 2022, the staff discovered BobLeo to be experiencing a seizure after a distressed call from his wolfdog neighbor Anna. Staff immediately took him to the emergency room vet, However, the seizure didn't decrease, and his fever spiked. The Shy Wolf Sanctuary team had to make a difficult decision to say goodbye and end BobLeo's suffering. BobLeo had lived a long and complete 20 years of life.

There are many other animals from Shy Wolf Sanctuary that we remember fondly. They have taught us patience, love, and understanding, as animals have unique personalities and set boundaries. Their memories will forever remain in our hearts.