Beginning 2010 Newsletter from Jean

Being ‘old’ (and old fashioned), I still prefer to write my letters by hand - Given fur or feathers, I can usually cope. Anything electrical seems break down - or just give up on me! However, I had an accident to my right hand. Holding a pen is awkward, and somewhat painful. The end result is also difficult, rather as if written using a friendly tarantula on a piece of string!!


All in all, I am using my computer for your sake as well as my own!

Words can never truly express my deep gratitude to you for your loving support. We see miracles here, miracles that you have made possible. The elderly lady who was blind (and was able to cuddle a wolf), and the abused children with ‘their’ wolf, remain among my fondest memories. Isn’t it ‘odd’ that a WOLF SANCTUARY is considered one of the few safe places to which these children can come and run about, as well as greet a wolf (or two!)?

The two pups, who were found chained - with neither food nor water - are amazing. They LOVE visitors. Romulus likes to greet people by holding their arm in his mouth - he is very gentle and we always explain BEFORE they go inside his enclosure. We are trying to train him not to jump up - he is already taller than am I! He is still with their adopted stepmother (Rafiki), and they are very happy. He was very much her favourite!

His brother, Remus, now shares with a newer wolf-pup - TaLa. They play together and are also very socialized.

We were very sad to lose our beloved Alpha Wolf - Khan. It was Khan and Mystery who started it all. They were both in extreme need, with nowhere to go - hence The Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary. We opened of 4th. October (the Feast Day of Saint Francis), 2002.

Khan was very old, but we retained his title of Alpha Wolf (always feeding him first). I am not sure if you know his story? As we understand, his parents spent their lives chained to the wheel of a trailer. When he was weaned, he was put in a cage, and visitors were invited to poke him with a stick - “as he could not get at them”. One day he escaped. When they tried to catch him, to put back in the small cage, he bit several people. He was on Death Row - as was Mystery. Mystery was a free, wild wolf - caught in a trap. To release herself she bit her foot almost off. She was then shot. Someone found her and took her to a Vet.

Neither of these two had a place to go. It is now necessary to hold Federal and State Permits to have a wolf. I have both these as I already had a record of working with animals, plus a Federal Permit to work with Birds of Prey. Just a few weeks before the arrival of Mystery and Khan, a large organization opened a shelter for Raptores. This enabled me to hand over my aspect of the work with birds, just in time to take on wolves!!!

As you know, we are blessed by having some wonderful volunteers - and we ALL love ‘our’ wolves. We are also in awe at what THEY can do to help people. We can (an do) give of our services with no salary. However, they need to eat (rather a lot, and Vet fees are HIGH).

Bless you, and THANK YOU for making miracles happen - for animals AND people.