COVID has put a major damper on my international travel plans for the last year (hello, cancelled trip to Costa Rica). That being said, it has allowed me to enjoy more of my own country, particularly my own province. Don't get me wrong, I've always known that I am blessed to live where I do, with the mountains in my backyard. I take advantage of it every chance I get - buuuut...mainly in the summer. I find the whole 'enjoying the outdoors' thing much harder in the winter. I'm not huge fan of winter sports like skiing or snowboarding. Oh, have I mentioned that winter lasts about six months here? That's half of the year spent, mostly, indoors. Over the past couple of years I've said to friends, "I want to enjoy our winters more," skating and snowshoeing being some of the winter activities on my list. We've been lucky to have had a mild winter (so far) this year, so I am hoping to get out and explore more.
There is one activity I've been wanting to enjoy in the winter, for about the past three years; the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary. I became aware of Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary in 2016 or 2017, and I've been intending to visit ever since. The sanctuary is located on the outskirts of Cochrane, Alberta - I've driven past many, many times on the way to Canmore or Banff. To me, it has always made sense to visit in the winter, as the wolfdogs are particularly stunning with their coats filled out.
I've seen wolves in the wild on one occasion only; in Jasper National Park. As our guide on the YWDS tour stated, this is a privilege. Wolves can hear up to 16km away, and they know that you are there long before you ever know that they are. They certainly are fascinating and amazing animals. With shows like Game of Thrones, who's 'direwolves' were bred here in Alberta, wolfdog popularity has risen. Wolfdogs are legal in the province of Alberta, provided their genetics are at least 1% that of a dog breed. Unfortunately, many soon learn that they are unable to care for their pup beyond the age of approximately 9 months. Wolfdogs do not make for good pets, especially higher content wolfdogs. Here is some information, courtesy of YWDS, outlining behaviours that are common and difficult to manage in wolfdogs.
Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary provides refuge for surrendered and abandoned wolfdogs. They also provide education for those with wolfdogs, or those who choose to adopt wolfdogs from the sanctuary itself. As our guide explained, wolfdogs do very poorly in an animal shelter environment, and they become instinctually defensive. Unfortunately this is seen as aggression in many cases, and they are quick to be euthanized because of this.
More about Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary
YWDS is a non-profit organization east of the Rocky Mountains near Cochrane, Alberta, located on 160 acres of land with a current pack of resident wolfdogs, and various adoptable wolfdogs. They are open year-round, 5 days of the week (closed on Tuesdays/Wednesdays).
From their website:
"As the popularity of wolfdogs as pets became more popular in Canada, Georgina De Caigny and Andi Scheibenstock identified a need for a knowledgeable and experienced rescue organization that would make the rehabilitation and rehoming of displaced wolfdogs a priority. It was in June of 2011 that Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary opened its doors as not only one of the largest sanctuaries within Canada, but one of the only sanctuaries to balance educational programs with a highly successful adoption program too."
YWDS currently has 37 permanent wolfdogs, 10 ambassador wolfdogs, and any number of wolfdogs available for adoption.
They are also home to goats, dogs, and other farm animals.
Tours
There are three types of tours offered at YWDS; though the intro tour is currently cancelled due to COVID.
The sanctuary tour is a drop-in, first come first serve tour. The minimum age is 6 years old, and it is a great option for families.
We opted for the interactive tour, this was always my intention as I believe if you are going for the experience of seeing the wolfdogs up close, this is clearly the superior option. This tour requires booking in advance. It is $61 per person, and 45-60 minutes in length. Our tour was closer to an hour in length. You are able to walk around the property prior to, or following, your tour.
This tour has limited availability, and restricted numbers per tour, to ensure the wolfdogs stay inquisitive and close during your visit. You will also have plenty of photo opportunities and ample time to speak with the sanctuary team member that is leading the tour. Our guide did an excellent job answering any and all questions.
Sanctuary Tour Itinerary & Highlights:
Semi-private guided sanctuary experience
Plenty of photo opportunities
Up-close and personal experience with the wolfdogs
Includes general admission into the Sanctuary (you can walk around the sanctuary before and after your tour)
Things to note:
Dress for the weather, you will be outside for the duration of your visit.
There is a maximum of 10 people per tour.
No children on this tour - 15 years of age and up, with anyone under 17 years needing a guardian present.
This tour is currently not wheelchair accessible.
If you are scared of big dogs, this tour is not for you!
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance with a full refund, however, after this you will not be refunded.
Typical COVID rules are currently in place; don't come if you are sick or have come into contact with a positive case, sanitize your hands, and mask up. Capacity restrictions are in place.
General Rules:
Absolutely NO DOGS are permitted on the sanctuary grounds at any time.
Absolutely NO SMOKING permitted on the sanctuary grounds.
Children are not allowed to run, wander, or behave loudly on the sanctuary grounds.
Loud or unruly behaviour towards the wolfdogs will not be tolerated.
Dress Code
(Yes, there is a dress code - this is for your safety and that of the wolfdogs):
No clothing with fur or faux fur (including trim on hoods, boots, or gloves)
No clothing with dangling lures (strings, pompoms, etc - you can tuck your shoelaces)
No clothing with sheepskin, or down feather coats
No leggings, pants tucked into boots/shoes
No open toed shoes (sandals - in the summer, obviously)
Okay, all of the logistics aside, let's talk about the tour. We arrived the recommended 15 minutes prior to our tour and checked in at the front, gave the resident malamute some love and attention, before taking a quick browse around the sanctuary to pass some time before our tour. The first thing you notice is the extent of the enclosures. This is so important, as wolfdogs are master escape artists. The fences are 8 feet high, with a 2 foot overhang, and dug deep into the ground.
Also, there are ravens. Everywhere. Our guide stated that where you find wolves, you will also typically find ravens. The ravens at the sanctuary are well fed, often eating the raw meat scraps fed to the wolfdogs. That being said, we witnessed Ylva of the Yamnuska pack nearly take down a raven on our tour. Apparently she has killed four birds this winter, and she is quite proficient, with her first kill being a hawk. She even managed to take down a raven on an interactive tour a couple of weeks prior to ours.
Ylva, Yamnuska Pack
You might notice that some of the wolfdogs look more like wolves, while others look like dogs. This has to do with the wolf content level; high, mid, or low content. When breeding wolfdogs, you cannot select the proportion of wolf or dog genetics that will be passed on. Some will have higher wolf content than others, and therefore they will have more wolf-like behaviours. The low content wolfdogs seemed to be more comfortable coming closer to us, whereas the high content wolfdogs mostly kept their distance and were quite skittish at any sudden movement.
Overall, the tour was a unique, informative, and fun experience, and it felt good to support a local non-profit. I highly recommend visiting the sanctuary if you're local, or if you're visiting any of the nearby areas.
Recently, the sanctuary rescued 10 wolfdogs and 3 sled dogs, at risk of euthanasia, from an out-of-province seizure and cruelty investigation. Three new enclosures will need to be built for the wolfdogs, and all will need varying degrees of vet care. Enclosures cost upward of $50, 000 each, and vet costs have continued to grow with two of the dogs needing surgery.
How you can help if you're unable to visit:
The sanctuary accepts various types of donations; both monetary and material.
You can opt to donate to the sanctuary, in general, here.
There are one-time and monthly donation options available. For Canadian donations of $20 dollars or more, a tax receipt will be issued.
You can donate toward the sanctuary's recent rescue efforts here.
When travel opens back up again, Yamnuska is worth the visit.
But until then you can meet the wolfdogs online.
Give them a follow on instagram, @yamnuskawdsanct
- Courtney
Add your comment