Ban on Wolf Hybrids Tough to Enforce State Finds:
Biology Stands in Way of Hybrid Wolf Ban*
 
By S. J. Komarnitsky

PALMER - A canine-identity problem is confounding state wildlife officials trying to enforce a ban against owning, selling and breeding wolf hybrids.

Worried that hybrids are dangerous to humans and threaten native wolf populations, the state Fish and Game Department asked the Alaska Board of Game last year to specifically outlaw hybrids. The board voted unanimously to do so.

The state hoped there would be a genetic test that would distinguish between wolves and their hybrid cousins, said Wayne Regelin, director of the state Division of Wildlife Conservation.

But there was a problem. There's apparently no way to tell, at least no way definite enough to hold up in court.

They are too similar genetically, said Keith Roehr, a Colorado veterinarian who spent four months on a committee studying the issue of canine hybrids for the Colorado legislature.

Many of the same genetic markers found in dogs like malamutes and German shepherds, which have wolf ancestry, also turn up in modern wolves, he said.

"There's a lot of differences," he said. "But nothing you can hang your hat on."

Even in cases where people advertised wolf hybrids, states have been unable to enforce the law.

"A lot of people, at the advice of their lawyer, would say, 'Oh, I thought it was hybrid, but I found out this was a malamute,'" he said. "The case would fall flat.”

No one knows exactly how many wolf hybrids there are in Alaska, but state officials estimate they could number in the thousands, including those kept for pets and sled dog teams. At least one business, Wolf Country USA in Palmer, advertises wolf hybrids for sale.

Wildlife officials say owning a wolf hybrid has always been illegal in Alaska.

But the law was not clear until the Game Board adopted the new regulation, which specifically added hybrids to the category of banned animals.

Before that, officials considered hybrids off-limits because they were not on a list of about 70 animals like cats, guinea pigs and goats that are allowed to be kept in the state.

Regelin said, "We didn't want people to say that the law doesn't really say hybrids are illegal when that's the intent."

But so far nobody, including those responsible for enforcing the law, has figured out how to implement it, even when kennels openly advertise hybrids.

"We're looking at it," said Col. John Glass, director of the state Division of Fish and Wildlife Protection. "But it's going to be tough to do."

Glass said so far there's been little done to try enforce the law in Alaska and he doesn't expect there to be much.

"We've got bigger issues out there," he said.

Both Wolf Country USA and another operation, Wolf Safari, have been notified of the new law, Glass said. Wolf Country USA has sent a letter to the state saying the law is too vague to be enforced, he said.

There's little middle ground when it comes to wolf hybrids.

Supporters say they make safe pets, are more intelligent than dogs and if treated correctly are more loyal.

Mark Whatley, a Wasilla-area resident who owns two hybrids as well as two dogs - a malamute and a chow mix - said his hybrids are like members of the family.

"There's a lot of love and emotion that comes back from the animal, and there's lot of understanding," he said.

They are more work though, he said, and he doesn't recommend them for everyone. They're more aloof and need a strong hand to show them who is boss, he said. They also need someone who is going to be at home.

"You can't be single or working all day," he said.

But detractors say hybrids are dangerous and often not trained well. And whereas wolves are timid and shy, hybrids tend to be braver around humans and are more known to attack than wolves.

Werner Schuster, who runs Wolf Country USA with his wife, Gail, said he considers his animals as safe as any dog.

"You have to see our puppies here," he said. "They'll just lick you to death. They're friendly, friendly, friendly."

The two have run the facility just off the Glenn Highway for 12 years and have sold hundreds of hybrids, he said. He said they currently have about 85 hybrids, including a couple dozen puppies.

"They're the same as sled dogs," he said. He said he doesn't advertise them as sled dogs because "they sell better as wolf hybrids."

* Copyright © 1999 Anchorage Daily News Mat-Su Bureau. Reprinted with Permission. Reproduction of any part of this article is prohibited without prior written permission. For more information, contact the FLA Editor at editor@floridalupine.org.