Little Miss Bella doesn't look like much but she is a force with which to be reckoned!  The photo above shows what she looked like the whole time she was at the shelter.  She had been purchased with her brother by a woman who had no idea what she was getting into.  She wouldn't reveal the name of the breeder but both animals were shy and terrified and escaped her house several times.  The shelter tried adopting them out and they escaped again.  Little Bella was recaptured and turned over to the shelter in Brevard County by her owner. 

The shelter then contacted us as the man who had adopted her brother had decided against adopting a second one at that time.  We knew from her photo that Bella would take a lot of work and may never be "adoptable" as "pet quality"…meaning she might warm up to people but was unlikely to adapt to living with a normal family in a home environment and would always remain a flight risk.  We had a couple of males (Yuki and Koda) that we had taken in and decided we would bring Bella to SWS to see if she would be adoptable and, if not, to be a companion to one of our males.  Bella loves to play, has a real sense of humor, is always conspiring to steal Yuki's food, and has warmed up to a number of our volunteers.  She can be walked on leash by our volunteers but will still startle and is generally happier staying in her own space.   Last we knew, Bella's brother had escaped his leash and collar while on a walk and is still running loose. 

The county was trying to find a place for him to go prior to capturing him as he has not caused any problems thus far.  Unfortunately, the reality is that sanctuaries are full, he's not high enough wolf content for some facilities to consider, and he is not "adoptable" with that temperament.   

SWS has a policy of using two collars and two leashes any time our animals are outside our perimeter fence.  There are several reasons for this policy and practice.  One collar is a backup (flat nylon) and the other is a control or training collar or harness.  Wolves and wolfdogs can crunch through bones so they have no problem biting through a leash when scared or determined.  Animals have been known to "put on the brakes" and back out of collars that were not on securely enough and an animal that suddenly becomes aggressive can be "cross-tied" between two people to keep them safely away from either one of the people on the end of the leash.   Rescues being transported will always have two collars and two leashes, so that we never risk losing on during the trip to their new home.  Some of our volunteers have found that this is a good practice even with their domestic dogs who decide to become contrary, slipping collars & running across interstates or down mountainsides while on road trips…