Rescue
If you've had the opportunity to visit us, you know we’re a sanctuary for sixteen rescued wolves and wolfdogs (and a pit bull!) and are unable to take any more permanent rescues at the moment.
To learn about our resident pack, click HERE
But our mission of rescue doesn't end here. While much of our time is dedicated to providing our residents the best lives possible, we also strive to help with non-resident rescues however we can. We can only do this work with your help and we hope you'll stay on this journey with us to see many more precious lives saved.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO WRITE A SUCCESS STORY
When captive-born wolves or wolfdogs end up in a shelter, it's illegal for the shelter to re-adopt them out to the public in most parts of the country. This can be a death sentence for most of these animals unless a licensed wolf/wolfdog rescue is able to rescue them.
Apex is part of a nationwide captive-born wolf and wolfdog rescue network that works together to place animals all around the country. There are anywhere from 2 to 30 wolves and wolfdogs in need of rescue almost every week and we try to help as many as we can. Sometimes it involves looking for placement, helping to raise money, or transporting the animal to their new forever home. Basically, if we can help - we will.
That being said, if you are experienced in wolfdog care and are interested in fostering or adopting a rescued wolfdog, or, if you are in need of finding a new home for a wolfdog, please fill out the appropriate form below…
Below are the animals (other than our resident pack) we’ve had the honor of helping save over the years. We hope you enjoy their stories, knowing you’re support makes this possible…
The High Desert Wolves Rescue
It was one of the largest rescue operations the national wolfdog rescue community had ever seen and in the end, every animal was saved. For story and photo gallery click HERE.
2019
Nevada Rescue
This is the first time Apex has taken steps legally to help save a life…
Apex was contacted by Melanie Nonya, a very caring and concerned dog rescuer in Nevada who needed help saving a wolfdog who was in the pound and given 10 days to live because he had bitten someone. As it turns out, the bite was out of fear, which is more often the case than not and in this poor boy’s case specifically, it was a death sentence. Apex immediately went to work to get him out, but the authorities would not work with us. After days of conversation with them, they still would not budge. Time was running out so we decided to take it to the next level and find legal help. We were led to attorney Debra Cyrene Scheufler, also an educator at the California Wolf Center, who represented us pro bono because she loves wolves. With the guidance of attorney Christopher Berry of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Debra worked tirelessly around the clock to save this animal who deserved a second chance. We quickly filed a 60-day notice to sue – and, thankfully, they released him. Our dear friend Susan Weidel, Rescue Coordinator of W.O.L.F. in Colorado and head of our national nationwide rescue network found a sanctuary that could take him and he is now living there where he is safe, well cared for, and loved. We also want to thank Keepers of the Wild, NV for offering to hold him in case of emergency and Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, for their friendship and advice.
2018
Saturn
Saturn was apparently used most of his life as a breeder at a breeding facility in northern California. The situation surrounding this facility is one of the saddest situations the rescue community has ever seen with approximately 280 feral animals living in squalor, breeding out of control in tiny cages, and no one able to save them all. Finally, with no other options, the county has stepped in and has started euthanizing the animals. Rescues and individuals from all over the country are trying to help, but there are just so many animals in such dire conditions, it seems almost impossible. Saturn had 35 days left before euthanasia and in desperation, rescuer Loren Crabb in association with Lake Tahoe Wolf Rescue reached out to Apex for help. He had been working on the ground, trying to save as many of the animals as possible and Saturn had touched his heart. He couldn't bear to see him killed. Apex went to work looking for a safe place for Saturn to go. It took a little time but then Kat Green of Green Wolf Farm in Oregon contacted us offering to rescue him. Apex, Loren, and Kat coordinated his rescue and now, "Prince" (a new name for a new life) has finally been given the life he more than deserves at Green Wolf Farm with Kat and her husband Doyle. (Due to extreme matting and foxtails, Prince is getting a fresh start at growing a healthy coat!)
(We are still in the process of trying to home the remaining animals. If you or someone you know is skilled with more challenging breeds and are interested in adopting, please contact us immediately at info@apexprotectionproject.org.)
Kyah
A beautiful gentle giant who lived happily in the house with her owner for ten years. When her owner passed away, the owner's son put her in a tiny crate outside, not allowing her inside and shortly after, took her to the Terre Haute Humane Society in Indiana where the vet reported signs of abuse. A family member contacted Apex through Instagram asking if we could take her but then disappeared. Being full, we couldn't but decided to help. She apparently had kidney issues so Apex started doing some research and finally found her former vet. She was healthy except for what were minor kidney issues but needed to be spayed. We reached out again to the rescue network and after some work, we were able to connect with a couple in New Jersey who specializes in caring for older wolfdogs. They agreed to take her if we could spay and transport her. Although there was a little concern about spaying an older animal, it was a blessing we did because she had growths in her uterus that would have killed her had we not. Once on the mend, Steve's brother Lee, a dog trainer in New York, and dear friend Paul Hamill were up for a cross-country adventure. They drove out to Indiana, picked Kyah up and drove her back to her new forever home in New Jersey where she enjoys her new family and the company of a handsome male companion.
Zion
Seen running loose on a busy street in Lancaster, CA by three of our volunteers. He was darting in and out of traffic terrified. Our volunteers tried to get him to come to them but he was too scared. That's when they called us for help. We drove up immediately to their location where they had managed to chase him into a neighborhood and lock him in someone's backyard. Terrified, paws bleeding and suffering from heat exhaustion, Zion was unapproachable. We entered the backyard slowly and waited until he calmed. Very slowly we inched our way near him. Once we were able to sit next to him, we realized he was just a puppy. Steve was able to gently place a leash around his neck and walk him to the truck. He got in willingly and we took him back to Apex where our vet tech Chelsea was able to assess his injuries. In the meantime, another of our volunteers got online to start looking for "Lost Dog" posts. Zion spent the night at Apex that night and the search for his owner continued the next morning. Finally, our volunteer came across a post with his picture and was able to contact his owner. An hour later, they were reunited! He had escaped the backyard which is now reinforced. A happy ending for sure!
Sheyenne
Picked up as a stray and had been at the Madera County Shelter in northern California for an entire year. It was a miracle she wasn't euthanized considering the number of times she had been put on death row, but the staff loved her and did everything they could to protect her. Finally, we were contacted by a staff member who was desperately trying to find her a home. Being a senior and blind in one eye, no one seemed to want her. We contacted Susan Weidel at W.O.L.F. and couldn't believe the news - one of their volunteers was looking to adopt a low-content female wolfdog or husky and was interested! We got to work organizing transportation. A wonderful couple from the shelter drove Sheyenne down to Apex where she spent the night. The next day, Steve and Sheyenne started out on their journey to Utah where she would be picked up by her new dad and driven home to Colorado. Sheyenne now lives on five beautiful acres with her new family and is in seventh heaven.
2017
Layla
When Layla arrived at a the Downey Shelter in SoCal, she was originally labeled a wolfdog which prevented her at first from being adopted out. It was our friends at BAD RAP Rescue in the Bay Area who heard about her and offered to take her, but they needed help pulling her and getting her up north. We offered to help pull her and rescuer Lisa Giacomaro offered to transport her, so we got to planning and raising funds to help with her vetting, spay, and transport. It was clear that this little girl was an absolute sweetheart - so much so that the shelter named her "Cuddles" and removed the "wolfdog" label. She was one of the shelter's favorites. She even spent time in the Sgt.'s office so it was clear she would make a great companion for the right family. BAD RAP would evaluate her behavior more once they received her, but they were lucky enough to already have a couple in mind who had been looking for a female companion for their male wolfdog. It seemed the stars were aligned - and they were. We met Lisa at the rescue to assist with pulling her and getting her situated, and she was off in no time to her new home. We shortly after received photos of Layla with her new family fitting in fine.
Scarlet
Found injured and disoriented on the side of the road by one of our volunteers. He immediately pulled over, was able to pick her up, put her in his car, and called us for help. When an animal comes across our path in a desperate situation, we will NOT turn them away - wolfdog or not. Our entire team of volunteers jumped to helping get her to the ER as fast as possible. She was guessed to be about 6 months old. The vets believed she was either hit by a car or badly beaten. She had a huge gash on the top of her head, a chipped tooth, and was in liver failure. She was immediately put on IV fluids and spent several nights in the ER to get her stabilized. The vet bill kept climbing but Apex and all of the volunteers came together and donated the money needed for her care. And then it was Apex volunteers Caroline and Cole who immediately offered to foster her until we could find her a home but little did they know - Scarlet was already home. They fell madly in love with her and "foster failed" and now, Scarlet has an extended family of volunteers and her own pack to play with when Caroline and Cole are here on their volunteer days! (She has the pack wrapped around her tiny tail!)
GIGI
Not a wolfdog, but this little angel needed help getting to her new forever home in Oregon. She was rescued from an abusive owner, just had ACL surgery and needed a ride for the stretch from Culver City to Apple Valley where she would continue on with another transporter. Apex was honored to lend a hand to the rescue facilitator Lake Tahoe Wolf Rescue with the transport, and spend some time with beautiful Gigi.
2016
Sequoia
Our very first non-resident rescue. At the time, we were very new and didn't have the resources to give her a home at Apex but there was no way we were going to let her die in the pound...
Luckily, we already knew of a couple who is very experienced with wolfdogs who were willing to give her a home even though she was skittish and had the reputation of being an escape artist. Being a USDA certified rescue, we were able to pull her from the shelter, have her vetted and spayed, and work with her for several weeks to assess her personality and behavior, and help socialize her while her new family prepared for her. Today, she lives happily with three other wolfdogs and a family who understands and loves her.
Castiel
Running loose in an urban neighborhood in the LA area for weeks when he was finally caught by Animal Control and taken to the local shelter. Emaciated and with a severe case of mange, Castiel was in dire need of TLC. Apex was notified by a friend in the Los Angeles rescue community and asked if there was anything we could do. We immediately contacted the Rescue Coordinator of the national rescue network, Susan Weidel, of W.O.L.F. Sanctuary in Colorado to see if she could alert the rescue network. She called us for details right away and said she'd get back to us. It wasn't thirty minutes later that she called and said that W.O.L.F themselves would take him. Unfortunately, the shelter wouldn't turn him over directly to W.O.L.F. as they were from out-of-state, so we were able to assist by pulling him with our California USDA license for them. While their rescue team was flying out to pick him up, we scrambled to get a crate, cedar shavings, and other comforts for his journey. We met W.O.L.F.'s rescue team at the shelter and before we knew it, he was safely in the back of their rented minivan on the way to his new forever home where he lives happily today.
