Petition: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Lane_County_Animal_Control_Shut_down_Oregonbased_puppy_mill_Wolf_Haven_Spirits_of_the_Past/?preview=live
Oregon is a state which prides itself on its progressive approaches to environmental conservation and animal welfare. But in Lane County, Oregon, a puppy mill known as “Wolf Haven Spirits of the Past” has been selling misrepresented mixed‐breed dogs as “98% pure wolves” to anyone and everyone with cash in hand.
Several concerned citizens have reported signs of neglect and abuse at the breeders’ property, where they currently house between 10 ‐ 20 husky‐mix dogs ‐ many of which have endured miserable living conditions in mud, muck, and squalor.
Investigators with Pack West Wolfdog Rescue were alerted by neighbors in the area, and received permission to visit and film the animals’ conditions in the spring of 2016.
What they found was beyond belief.
Fourteen malnourished puppies were penned up in an enclosure cobbled together with chicken wire, plywood, and old chain link fencing. The ground was slick with mud and feces. No food or water was visible anywhere within the enclosure.
Nearby, more than a dozen adult dogs were chained up in an open field. They, too, lacked food and water, though were each provided with a makeshift shelter. Some had worn clear paths in the dirt from pacing incessantly for days on end. All appeared anxious and stressed, moving in tight circles around the stakes which tethered them, their heads low and tails tucked.
Things quickly went from concerning to downright bizarre as the breeders began telling investigators about the animals they were selling. They claimed that their dogs were “pure wolves” and reported that buyers must call them “98%”, because pure wolves are illegal to own in Oregon State.
They also made claims that the animals required feline vaccines, don’t need flea or tick medication, and stated that their animals were immune to cancer, hip and joint problems, and could collapse their rib cages “like a cat”. It is also mentioned on their website that their “wolves” needed to eat sticks and rocks to help them digest their food, much like a ruminant, which is why they suggest feeding them off the ground. All of this is clearly not factual in the slightest manner, and could potentially cause the animals harm, or even pose a public health risk.
The puppies’ ribs, spines, and hips were showing, even beneath their fur. In contrast to the adults, many of them seemed lethargic to the extent of hardly being able to move more than a few feet at a time without pause. It was quickly becoming apparent that this was an emergency situation.
With a bit of further research, it was quickly discovered that Wolf Haven Spirits of the Past relocated to Oregon from Texas, where their operation came under fire numerous times for the similar abhorrent conditions their animals were kept in.
Wolf Haven Spirits of the Past were promptly reported to local authorities at Lane County Animal Control, and the Oregon Humane Society.
Pack West’s investigators were hopeful that swift action would be taken against the breeders for such blatant neglect, but as time passed, no progress was made. The breeders received no reprimand, and now, they’ve begun advertising more upcoming litters of “wolves” for sale on local craigslist and Hoobly pages.
Last year, the breeders boasted that they had six litters (a total of 42 puppies) which were sold on a first‐come, first‐serve basis to anyone, regardless of past experience, and with no question as to where the pups would go if the new owner could no longer provide for it.
Several of WHSotP’s animals have ended up in rescues all across the country over the course of several years. They’ve come in with hip and joint problems, skin conditions, behavioral issues, and a wide range of similar concerns.
Rescuing just one animal from this kennel can cost a nonprofit rescue upwards of $600.00! This includes transport of the animal, spay/neuter costs, vaccinations, flea and tick treatment, and housing and feeding of the canine until it finds its forever home.
When animals like this end up in a bad place, it’s breed‐specific organizations like Pack West who usually end up answering the call (and footing the bill) to save them. But we are a small, foster‐based operation, and we do not have much space or funding.
We’re already strapped for resources because we’re the only wolfdog‐specific rescue in the Pacific Northwest. With added pressure from the influx of animals put out there by irresponsible puppy mills like Wolf Haven Spirits of the Past, our jobs become a whole lot harder.
We’re no longer asking ‐ we are demanding ‐ that Lane County Animal control take responsibility and put an end to this puppy mill today. Stop them from breeding any more misrepresented animals; stop them from continuing the cycle which endangers so many canines’ lives. Stop them from forcing the pups they produce to live in such horrid conditions.
Oregon expects better when it comes to animal care and husbandry, so please, put an end to this today.
