Ten wolf hybrid canines seized during an animal cruelty investigation in Aguanga this summer were bound for an exotic pet shelter in Arizona today for permanent placement, sparing them from euthanasia.
The six female and four male dogs were impounded in early August and housed at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus following a Riverside County Department of Animal Services investigation into alleged inhumane treatment.
The exact location of the seizure and the former owner’s identity were not specified. The case is pending adjudication, according to agency spokesman John Welsh.
He said efforts to find a suitable relocation point for the canines had been challenging. The breed, which is generally crossed between a gray wolf and German shepherd, is not deemed suitable for adoption.
Wild California at the Magic Jungle Wildlife Preserve near Yucca Valley was considered an option for placement, but operator Kele Younger said, “We just didn’t have the habitat.”
“Approximately 90% of wolf hybrids are euthanized,” Younger said. “It’s hard enough to place one or two, let alone 10. The big problem is that they are too `wolfy’ to be a pet and they’re not `wolfy’ enough to be in a commercial facility, such as a zoo.”