When Paula Watson adopted her first wolf-dog, she had intended to bring home a yellow Labrador from the shelter in Flagstaff, Arizona.
But she was charmed by the smile of a 120-pound wolf-dog she named Winslow, who was scheduled to be put down in two days.
“He chose me,” she said.
Winslow became best friends with a corgi, and after it died, he suffered from depression. So Watson rescued another wolf-dog to be his friend and then she rescued another one and another one.
She was 40 then. Now 61, she has for 20 years run Wolfwood Refuge with volunteers and donated funds.
The state-licensed refuge, along a dirt road near Ignacio, is home to about 60 animals including wolves, wolf-dogs and the refuge’s first baby coyote, Wile E.
A select few of the animals travel with Watson to schools and events for educational talks. The public also is welcome to visit many of them on guided tours of the refuge. A small purple yurt, serving as a visitors center, will open in September to better accommodate guests. Tours, which are about two hours, are by appointment only.
Through all her educational events, Watson’s message is consistent: Wolves are not vicious man killers, they are not cartoon characters and they don’t make good pets, she tells visitors.
The residents of Wolfwood help her tell that story. All were rescued, and none of them are bred or sold.
Majesty, a full-blooded wolf from Minnesota, came to Wolfwood after she strangled herself on the chain that was used to restrain her. The chain had to be surgically removed, and the oxygen deprivation left her with brain damage. Sometimes, she is neurotic and puppy-like, and she is known for rapid mood swings.
Majesty doesn’t know a different life, but Watson said, in the wild, she likely would have had potential to be an alpha female.
“It really hurts me,” she said.
Majesty can be viewed only from a distance by visitors, but some wolves and wolf-dogs interact with the public and help Watson demonstrate wolf behavior.
Five years ago, the refuge took in nine wolf puppies from Alaska that would otherwise have been destroyed.
The alpha of the pack, Oakley, has traveled with Watson since he was 3 months old, and he will give visitors a friendly kiss.
A face-to-face greeting is common among wolves and it carries over to humans, which is part of the reason they can be so intimidating.
“Wolves treat us like they treat each other,” Watson said.
At least locally, Watson’s education seems to be paying off. At one time, wolf-dog pets were common in the county, but anecdotally, they seem to be on the decline in popularity, she said.
Conversely, the crowds that Watson attracts to her events outside the region seem to be larger. At an event near Estes Park this summer, she packed the venue, and people waited an hour to see her ambassadors.
“I firmly believe in what they call nature-deficient disorder ... We are suffering from our lack of connection to nature,” she said.
While running the refuge is hard work, it’s also been her passion. But now Watson is thinking about the long-term future of the refuge.
“Now, there is some moral questions I have to answer,” she said.
She is weighing whether to hire people to run the refuge, whether it will be passed on through her family or if, someday, she will stop accepting rescues and just allow the current residents to live out their lives there.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
If you go
Wolfwood’s annual fundraiser will be 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 10 at Digs Restaurant in Three Springs. An art auction, food, live music and free wolf kisses are planned. Event tickets are $25 at the door.
Tours of the refuge are by appointment only and must be made in advance.
For more information, visit
wolfwoodrefuge.org
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Wolves coming to Purgatory on Wednesday
