Think like a mountain.
As a 24-year-old, conservationist Aldo Leopold was forever changed by a dying wolf he and his crew had shot. After seeing the wolf’s eyes, he became an outspoken advocate for preserving natural spaces. He encouraged people to “think like a mountain,” and recognize how we need predators, like wolves, to keep the population of other species, like deer, in check in order to have a balanced ecosystem.
This philosophy is one shared by Refuge Ridge in Whitley County, Kentucky, home to wolf dogs rescued from all over the country. Each of the 22 wolf dogs (and one coyote dog, or coydog) are in spacious enclosures with shade trees and are regularly provided with a variety of enrichment activities.
Founder Marti Wilson bought the approximately 250 acres that make up the refuge 25 years ago. A retired special education teacher, she has always been passionate about connecting children to nature in hands-on ways.
“Wolves are a wonderful lesson for kids in cooperation and in play,” Marti explained. “Wolf packs are only as strong as their weakest member, so they really care for each other and everyone helps raise the young.”
With their goal to help educate youth, they built a beautiful Educational Center at the Ridge, where inside you are surrounded by windows to view the mountains around you. Because wolf dogs are escape artists (they can climb an 8 foot fence in a heartbeat), each enclosure has over hangs and dig guards.
“When a wolf dog comes here, they are here forever. This is their home,” Marti said. Marti said they get 5 to 10 calls a week from people looking for homes for wolf dogs.
“We wish we could take them all, but we’re not willing to make the enclosures any smaller. Wolves are very shy. There has never been an attack on humans by a healthy wolf. While the ‘big bad wolf’ image is false, wolf dogs still don’t make good pets.”
Because of their strong need for exercise, when wolf dogs grow up, most owners soon realize they are in over their heads. Shelters cannot adopt out any dog that has wolf in it, so they must either go to a sanctuary or be euthanized. Each dog at the Ridge is spayed or neutered, and they are strong advocates for adoption. In the past, they’ve also sought out grants to help support spay/neuter clinics for area animals.
As we walked down to their enclosure, Marti told us the incredible story of the Sherman pack, a pack of 5 wolves, that they drove to Oklahoma in the middle of the night – in the middle of a tornado – to rescue. She said they were so starved they didn’t think the pack would make it. Because they were hand raised, they are the most socialized of the wolf dogs.
When you get up close to them, you can really appreciate both the wildness in their eyes like Aldo Leopold recognized. That’s when it clicks for you as a visitor how important the mission of the Refuge is and the larger awareness efforts to stop the breeding of these majestic animals and perseveration of their habitats.
All the costs of the Refuge are supported by donations of which they must raise $2,000 a month to sustain the operation. They feed all the wolf dogs kibble, adding in raw meat 2-3 times a week. They often have unique fundraisers that also help educate, like a kids book called Topanga and the Dreamweaver, about the wolf dog that started the rescue. They also have t-shirts, totes and apparel available for purchase. In the future, they hope to open cabins on the property so visitors can experience the regal howls that take place each night at the Refuge.
Please learn more about them via their website or follow along on social media.
