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Wolf hybrid plus more dogs taken from Cohasset Drive following fire
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A wolf hybrid and several other dogs are expected to be reunited with their owner after spending the night at Animal Charity after a fire Thursday at the Cohasset Drive home of their owner.
The 4-year-old male was one of several animals taken to the Canfield kennels of Animal Charity after the fire, which broke out about 12:30 p.m. in the 700 block of Cohasset Drive.
The homeowner was slightly injured but did not go to a hospital. When the fire broke out, several dogs ran away and were rounded up.
The dogs were not injured.
Dave Nelson of the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s office was on hand, but when he spotted the wolf hybrid in the back and other dogs, he called for help from two others who work in the office. They in turn called police, and after a consultation, Animal Charity was called because there was no room at the pound to house all the dogs.
Nelson said the dogs appeared to be well taken care of, and firefighters said the wolf hybrid did not give them any trouble as they were battling the flames inside. The wolf hybrid and several other dogs were in the backyard.
The wolf hybrid was taken out by Deputy Dog Warden Kevin Halquist and did not appear to be aggressive.
“He was very timid,” Halquist said.
Nelson said the owner warned him when he arrived at the home that he had a wolf hybrid, and Nelson said, based on his experience, there is no doubt the animal is a wolf hybrid.
The owner told Nelson the animal was at least 200 pounds. Halquist agreed, saying, “He felt like 200 pounds to me.”
Nelson said he was not sure if the owner was permitted to have a wolf hybrid, but according to Section 505.17 of the city’s general code, a wolf hybrid is on the list of animals that are considered exotic and their ownership is prohibited in the city.
There was no word if the owner would face charges for having the animal. According to the city’s code, the offense is a first-degree misdemeanor.
However, there is no state law prohibiting wolf-dog hybrid ownership, according to Erica Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
“They’re not considered dangerous for purposes of the state’s dangerous-animal law,” she said.
However, the behavior of the hybrids can prove unpredictable, according to the International Wolf Center’s website.
“People who own hybrids often find that their pet’s behavior makes it a challenge to care for,” it says. “The diversity of genetic composition even within one litter of hybrid pups leads to a wide range of appearances and behavior patterns among all hybrids, thus making their behavior inconsistent and more difficult to predict.”
Hybrids have the same life expectancy as a large domestic dog: 12 to 14 years, the site says.
“Wolves can interbreed with any type of dog, and their offspring are capable of producing offspring themselves,” the International Wolf Center says.
While some believe wolf characteristics make the animal a better protector, the website disputes that concept.
“Due to the shy nature of wolves, hybrids usually make poor protection dogs,” it says. “Aggressive tendencies, if any, in the hybrid may be fear-induced and, as such, can be unpredictable and hard to control.”
Because of the territorial nature of wolves, natural occurrences of hybrids in the wild are rare.
A fire department spokesman at the scene said the fire started in a space heater on the first floor that shorted out. A damage estimate was unavailable.
Contributor: staff reporter Denise Dick