Gallery
Bought to be a house cat Bobleo or “Leo” came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary in 2011.
Maria Bustamante, a volunteer at Shy Wolf Sanctuary gives Tien one of his faveorite things, a butt scratch!
Lakota came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary when the sanctuary was looking for a male companion for one of the wolf residents. Lakota had been through a lot despite being only two years old. Lakota’s original owners took him from a “bad breeder” where Lakota was kept in a small, dark, and dirty crate. Lakota’s owners had went to go look at him with the impression that he would be a different puppy. But one look at his conditions and the fear in Lakota’s eyes they could not leave him in that situation. Lakota was scared of everyone and everything. He always seemed to be cowering from something. But his owners nurtured him and vaccinated him and they made him theirs. Lakota’s owners loved him immensly but decided that they could not keep him due to the fact that one of them had been hospitalized. When they realized this they decided to drive all the way to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. After careful inspection Lakota’s owners approved of SWS. Lakota is now Chatima’s companion.
Maraya was brought in with three other wolf puppies in the summer of 2010 that were accidentally born at another facility. When the wolf puppies were about three months old the puppies came down with an unknown disease that could’ve killed them. But after a long stay at the vets and many IV’s and treatments the puppies were able to pull through this hard time. Maraya was once an ambassador for Shy Wolf Sanctuary but she has decided to pass on the role to someone else. She has become a lot more cautious and is unwilling to leaver he enclosure not even for a walk with her brother Misun.
Lola was born to a pair of dingoes that had been bought by a man from Australia. After a year of having the original two, the owner of the Dingoes soon found out that he was not following FWC’s rule for keeping a dingo. SWS got a call and decided to pick Lola up.Lola is a very active girl and welcomes everyone she meets with a very big smile. She is an active puppy, which means when volunteers cleans whatever enclosure she’s in she will definitely follow the volunteer and probably distract them with her playful attitude
Mia came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary at 18 months old. Her previous owners had purchased her from a breeder with the intent of raising her as an inside dog. At about six months old the owners had begun to call the breeder asking if the breeder could take Mia back. Mia was very shy around strangers and could not be left alone. She could not be left at a kennel, which meant that the couple could not travel anywhere and they could not leave her unattended, so they had begun to crate her during the day. SWS was contacted and had decided to take her in as Yuki’s companion. Yuki and Mia got along but didn’t find any interest in each other. Mia started finding interest in Koda and was moved into his enclosure where she lives today.
After being transported to SWS by first a University of Florida Grad student then by Nancy and another volunteer, Milo reached SWS safe and sound. The sanctuary then learned that Milo had been sold by someone in South Carolina to be a pet. Milo now resides with SWS’s arctic fox, Dickens, where they can be seen playing and running around their enclosure, or sunbathing. Milo has a very shy personality, but once warmed up to a volunteer he will follow them around the enclosure during the daily cleaning.
Picture provided by SWS. Coosa came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary at 2 years old. His original owner had to sale his house and could not take Coosa with him. Coosa is very shy and is very selective on who he chooses to bond with. This shy nature did not stop him from standing up to Namid.
(Photo provided by SWS.) Cree was brought to Shy Wolf Sanctuary after Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) seized him from his owner due to neglect and not having a license for owning a wolf. SWS was to temporarily hold Cree until he was transported to another facility. Cree improved so much while being at SWS that they decided to keep him.
Picture provided by SWS Chocowa was one of the three puppies that came into Shy Wolf Sanctuary at three weeks old. Chocowa has gone through several names before one stuck. Chocowa has a personality that would win anyone over. While he is a bit cautious of strangers at the beginning, he warms up quickly to them.
Precious Lady or “Precious” came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary with her sister Beautiful Lady. The backgrounds of the two sisters is unknown due to the fact that the previous owners had different stories. Both of the sisters came with an immense load of health issues including hookworms and coccidian. Precious was very dependent on her sister Beauty. When Beauty passed away in 2013 the sanctuary moved Precious into Cree’s enclosure. She enjoys life with Cree and loves to hide behind the dense shrub in the enclosure.
Yuki came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary after being contacted by Broward County who had a wolf dog be dropped off as a stray. After being picked up by Deanna and Nancy, Yuki was brought to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. He does have a problem with being told what to do, but he is very lovable and enjoys being the center of attention.
Misun was brought in three other wolf puppies in the summer of 2010 that were accidentally born at another facility. When the wolf puppies were about three moths old the puppies came down with an unknown disease that could’ve killed them. But after a long stay at the vets and many IV’s and treatments the puppies were able to pull through this hard time.While the majority of the wolves have become cautious, which is natural for wolves, Misun has held onto his curiosity, which adds onto his friendly demeanor. He also loves to roll over and allow volunteers that he knows to give him a belly rub. Misun lives with his sister Maraya after being bounced from one enclosure to another for two years.
Waya came in at 8 weeks old. He was turned over to SWS along with Yiska, after their previous owners found out that it was illegal to own a wolf dog in Georgia. Waya has a knack for sensing insecurity in people and he takes advantage to pull a sneak attack. Waya does trust some volunteers and is very sweet to those he knows.
Luna once belonged to a woman who bred and sold wolf puppies from her backyard. The woman was arrested in 2012 for drug related charges. After her arrest she signed the wolves over to her son, who didn’t take care of them. While under the care of the son, many of the wolves were shot by neighbors who were afraid of the loose “wolves.” Afterwards the animals were signed over to a local shelter. A kennel owner volunteered to hold Luna, but after destroying two of the kennel runs the owner called to get her relocated. While on a visit to the vet, Luna escaped and was loose fore four days. After being caught Luna was transported to Shy Wolf Sanctuary where she found a permanent home with her companion Yiska.
ickens came to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary when he was still very young. One of the people living in the same neighborhood as Shy Wolf Sanctuary had told the sanctuary that he had a pet that he would like them to take in. ickens lived by himself for a while until SWS took in another small fox named Milo.
Treasure, who once was named Seth, was found as a stray in a junkyard in Brooksville, Florida.Shy Wolf Sanctuary was contacted and asked if they could take Treasure in. Treasure is now a companion for Jewel, another resident of SWS. Treasure loves to be the center of attention and loves to get petted.
Saia was purchased by her previous owner as a low content wolf dog. The owner could not keep her due to the fact that she lived in a historic part of St. Petersburg and the proper fencing for Saia was not allowed. She was then taken to her a friend of the owners and stayed there for a while until Saia started to escaped. During one of her adventures, Saia got hit by a car and dislocated her hip and had to have the ball of her femur removed. She now lives at SWS with her two companions Koda and Mia.
Cimarron came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary in 2010 at the age of 3. After being seized from his original home he was taken to a North Tampa facility where he was to be introduced to a female panther. Due to the fact that he never interacted with another panther Cimarron became to rough and had to be relocated. He then found a home at SWS where he spends most of his time lounging in his two story enclosure.
Miwok was a very unexpected rescue that was made by Shy Wolf Sanctuary.After the sanctuary had taken in another coyote named Morgan, they tried to see if these two would bond. The two got along with each other. Morgan was moved into the original enclosure. After the moves, Miwok has much more freedom to move around and greet visitors.
Girly came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary when she was eight months old. Before coming to SWS, Girly was found floating down a river with the umbilical cord still attached. Shy Wolf was contacted by the rehab center that took her in. Coyotes do not usually follow a pack, but in Girly’s case she formed bonds with the cats and dogs of the rehab, which caused Girly anxiety when she was moved to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. In the spring of 2012 the sanctuary decided to take in two male coyotes to keep Girly company. Girly, Baya, and Yutu all reside in the same spacious enclosure.
Four socks was part of an accidental litter that occurred at the sanctuary. Four Socks has grown up to be as social as his father, Lobo. He willingly walks up to new volunteers and greets them with a smile on his face.
Namid was brought in three other wolf puppies in the summer of 2010 that were accidentally born at another facility. When the wolf puppies were about three moths old the puppies came down with an unknown disease that could’ve killed them. But after a long stay at the vets and many IV’s and treatments the puppies were able to pull through this hard time. As the wolf puppies grew they all became cautious of strangers, which is a wolf trait. But Namid grew into becoming a very strong and independent female. Namid is currently living with male wolf named Coosa. Coosa knows how to handle Namid and her very strong personality
Not much is known about Dancer’s history prior to coming to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. SWS was contacted by a private rescuer who had been in contact with Dancer’s previous owner. Due to being constantly left alone Dancer tried to grab onto her owners arms a s a way to get attention. Dancer was taken to a private rescuer who then contacted SWS. Dancer is very affectionate. She loves to come up to those people that she knows and rub her head against the volunteer’s head.
Yiska was brought to SWS after being seized by Pasco County Animal Shelter with 18 other animals. Yiska was very shy when first brought to Shy Wolf Sanctuary, but once meeting Luna, Yiska has become a bit more social
Shy Wolf Sanctuary received Lobo when he was 6 months old. Lobo’s owners, an older couple, stated that they had bought Lobo on the side of the road for $50. After making a mess of their living room they decided to try tying him up outside. After chewing through both leashes they called SWS and said that if they did not take him Lobo would be sent to a shelter, which meant that he would be put down. When arriving to SWS Lobo was introduced to some other wolfdogs afterwards they formed a tight bond and created a pack. Now Lobo has been made to be the leader of this pack. He is gentle and kind when making corrections to the other wolves of the pack. He warms up to volunteers very quickly and has no problem going up to them and saying hi.
Picture provided by SWS. Chatima is one of four pure wolf puppies that came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. She came along with her brother Misun and her two sisters Maraya and Namid. It took the sanctuary about three years to find the right place for the puppies. They all ended up in pairs instead of packs. Chatima’s companion was found in a wolf dog rescue name Laokta. The two have gotten a long very well and have a tendency of playing tricks on the volunteers.
Dreamer was first asked to hold Dreamer after breaking out of her enclosure at her original owner’s house. After getting Dreamer into a secure enclosure the volunteers switched their concerns to Dreamer’s eye. Dreamer’s owner called SWS and said that he was going t o send Dreamer off to a breeder who had found someone to adopt her despite the eye problem. SWS convinced the owner to release Dreamer to the sanctuary. Dreamer now lives at SWS with her companion, Tiberius. They love to play with each other.
Viggo was a stray wondering a neighborhood for three months before coming to Shy Wolf Sanctuary. He was taken in by a vet who had saved him from being shot. Viggo is very social and is up for adoption. The sanctuary would very much like him and his companion, Dancer, be adopted together.
Chief is a low content wolf-dog, meaning that he is a bit more dog than wolf. Before arriving to Shy Wolf Sanctuary Chief lived in a high kill shelter in Alabama.Chief is a low content wolf-dog, meaning that he is a bit more dog than wolf. Before arriving to Shy Wolf Sanctuary Chief lived in a high kill shelter in Alabama. Finally, Chief found a home at Shy Wolf Sanctuary. Chief lives with Amaya and SWS is hoping that both of them can get adopted together
Tiberius came to SWS at 18 months old. He was first fostered by a volunteer but after becoming aggressive with his found was transported to a facility in Virginia that was much bigger. While he loved the facility and his companion, he became even more aggressive towards the owner. Two volunteers went to go pick Tiberius up and after two days and three sleep darts the volunteers were able to leash him and bring him back. Today Tiberius lives happily with his companion at SWS.
Tien arrived to Shy Wolf Sanctuary as one of four wolf puppies that had been seized by Fish and Wildlife Commission. Their conditions prior to SWS were neglectful. Tien arrived to Shy Wolf Sanctuary as one of four wolf puppies that had been seized by Fish and Wildlife Comission. Their conditions prior to SWS were neglectful. Tien is definitely the most outgoing out of his siblings. Tien is known throughout the sanctuary for his wolf kisses and his love for butt scratches.
Baya and Yutu were rescued from a litter of seven coyotes that were taken by a North Tampa animal rehabilitation center. Shy Wolf Sanctuary was contacted by the rehabilitation center to see if SWS had room for these two pups.The two coyotes were heavily socialized, but despite this Baya and Yutu only bonded with a few volunteers at SWS. They now live with another Coyote named Girly.
Amaya came to Shy Wolf Sanctuary after her original owner could not take her traveling. Amaya is known for her connection with Autistic individuals. She is up for adoption.
Shy Wolf Sanctuary 