An illegal hybrid of a wolf and a dog was found roaming the streets of Brooklyn on Thursday. The police have stated that the wolf-dog is not a wild animal and is being put into permanent captivation cause it’s illegal to have this type of animal. The animal shelter is currently doing a DNA test to show what kind of wolf and dog were breed to make the wolf-dog nicknamed Lady. There are an estimated 300,000 and 500,000 wolf-dogs in the US Read more after the jump.
An illegal wolf-dog was found Tuesday roaming the wilds of Brooklyn.
Cops found the three-year-old female near Elton St. and Vandalia Ave. in East New York, said New York Animal Care and Control spokesman Richard Gentles.
She was wearing a collar and a chain and appeared to have been kept as an exotic pet, he said.
Wolf-dog hybrids – usually produced by mating a grey wolf with a wolf-like dog like a Siberian Huskie or Alaskan Malamute – are considered wild animals, which are illegal to keep as pets in New York.
They are a dangerous but increasingly popular pet among those seeking an exotic canine companion. There are estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000 in the United States.
Finding one in Brooklyn is extremely rare, Gentles said.
The 53-pound brown wolf-dog was being housed at the ACC shelter on Linden Boulevard.
“She’s in an unfamiliar environment so she’s nervous and shy, but otherwise she’s in good condition,†Gentles said.
“Nobody’s come forward to claim ownership,†he said. She will not be put up for adoption or freed into the wild, but likely sent to a sanctuary for unwanted wolf-dogs.
“What we’ll try to do is place her with a partner group outside the city that has experience with wolf-dog hybrids,†Gentles said.
Forty states forbid the ownership, breeding and importation of wolf-dogs. Others regulate ownership.
