COCHRANE— Rounding up the community in support of a group of furry friends, The Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary has launched a fundraiser to help the non-profit weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sanctuary manager Alyx Harris said the non-profit is adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the organization is taking steps to ensure they can raise funds while engaging with the public online.
"We want to still be there for people and be that light at the end of the tunnel for people or something to distract people from honestly the very scary stuff that's going on in the world right now," Harris said. "We're still in the works of getting used to this new normal and figuring out different ways that we are going to have the funds coming in to give the wolf-dogs the care that they need."
The most challenging adjustment has been closing the centre to the public, she said, because it has cost the sanctuary its main source of income.
The centre closed on March 23 Harris said and they expect to possibly remain closed until the end of May.
"That's a total of two months without people coming in," Harris said. "Losing that funding is a pretty big deal for us."
While the gates may be closed to visitors for the foreseeable future, Harris said, the sanctuary remains committed to ensuring they are still able to educate people about wolf-dogs.
"Wolf-dogs are pretty much exactly as they sound," Harris said, explaining that the canines have a mix of wolf and dog DNA.
"They're not necessarily half and half, it could be any amount of wolf content any amount of dog content."
The canines have been intentionally bred by humans as exotic pets she said. Harris added that because of this it is hard to find them proper homes and they need a sanctuary type environment.
"Wolf-dogs are incredibly intelligent animals. They're beautiful animals," Harris said. "It's really important to teach people that yes there are these awesome, really cool animals but at the end of the day they're just not the most suitable pets in the world."
Harris said the wolf-dogs have noticed that there have been no visitors to the centre because their day-to-day activities have changed.
"They're like, 'What? we're supposed to be doing this at this time,'" Harris said with a laugh. "Their schedules are a little bit off and I think they are a little confused."
Others seem to be enjoying the peace and quiet, Harris added with a chuckle. Some of the more fearful wolf-dogs have even seemed to have their confidence grow.
Yamnuska is home to 29 wolf-dogs and Harris said it costs about $10 to feed a single wolf-dog each day.
The non-profit has begun selling merchandise online including comfort items such as wolf slippers and mittens as a way to raise funds to keep the animals happy and fed.
The centre has also launched a GoFundMe which is finding success.
Harris said that if the sanctuary remains closed for two months there is the hope the fundraiser will raise $75,000 to support the wolf-dogs during that time.
"When you consider all the costs of caring for these animals. It comes out to about $1,800 per month per wolf-dog," Harris said. "We appreciate any and all support."
Harris added that the non-profit is continuing to explore ways to fundraise and engage with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For now, Harris said she is counting down the days until they can open the sanctuary for visitors to enjoy again in person rather than watching the wolf-dogs online.
"Getting back to normal is going to be just so wonderful," Harris said.
"The sanctuary is definitely for a lot of people an escape– it's an awesome place to come see these animals in these very large enclosures. It's very peaceful."
