20 | alternate routes - the cochrane guide
Mysterious. Exotic. Spiritual. Haunting. Healing. One visit with the spectacular wolfdogs at Alberta’s only dedicated wolfdog rescue non-profit organization - the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary - will leave tourists talking and dog lovers delighted. Rated on TripAdvisor as one of <strong>Cochrane</strong>’s top attractions, this relatively new destination is proving to be one more reason that it’s always worth taking the alternate route. It’s nothing short of a marvel when something in the distance grabs the attention of a resident canine, and within moments all of the animals are in howling their eerie cries in unison. Located around 10 minutes west of <strong>Cochrane</strong>, on Range Rd. 53 off Hwy 1A, the 160 acre sanctuary is home to at least a dozen wolfdogs on any given day. And what, exactly is a wolfdog? They are the result of a dog and a wolf that are intentionally bred together. The sanctuary offers tours for adults & children 12 and older, to spend upwards of an hour petting, socializing and learning about the resident wolfdogs for $39. These guided tours involve direct contact with several mid-high content wolfdogs — some of whom are surprisingly affectionate. Beginning June 2015, the facility will also offer self-guided tours from outside of the enclosures for those aged six and up, at a cost of $15 per person. In order to keep afloat, the facility is largely reliant on tour revenues, as well as private donations. Facility owner/operator Georgina De Caigny left behind her career as a civil engineer to enterprise the wolfdog sanctuary in 2011 - which was relocated from Kananaskis Country to rural <strong>Cochrane</strong> in April 2014. The facility was co-founded with Andi Scheibenstock, inspired by Georgina’s passion for wolfdogs and rooted in her close bond with Kuna - a high content wolfdog who Georgina has cared for since 2009. “The most rewarding aspect of working with the wolfdogs is being able to form a bond with them to the point where they view you, the human, as an integral part of their family,” explained Georgina, noting that wolves are characteristically highly intelligent, shy and fearful of humans. Time is the secret ingredient to establishing a bond with the elusive animals. “Once that trust level is established, they embrace you as a part of their social hierarchy and they have an amazing ability to communicate and interact with you at a completely different level than a domestic dog.” Story & Photos: Lindsay Seewalt Over the last four years, Georgina has brought in wolfdogs with ‘low’, ‘medium’ or ‘high’ wolf content from both sides of the border, working closely with provincial and local humane societies who will notify her in the event that one of their intakes may contain some level of wolf content. Regular animal rescue facilities do not possess the resources to transport, house or care for wolfdogs. The transport crates must be welded together and free of wood or glass to contain the destructive wolfdogs and their large enclosures must be built around eight feet high with curved wire at the top to contain them. The animals, who have become popularized by the film and television industry, are legal in the province of Alberta, as long as they are not determined to be a ‘pure’ wolf. They are often the product of backyard breeders who persuade potential buyers besieged by the beauty of the beast into buying these animals. They wind up at Yamnuska as new owners quickly realize wolfdogs do not behave like the average housedog. To learn more about the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, including sponsorship and adoption opportunities, visit yamnuskawolfdogsanctuary.com or call 403 760 5007. Photos clockwise from top: Yukon (mid-content male, aged 2); entrance to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, Kuna with Georgina De Caigny and Joel Cates, Zeus (high-content alpha male, aged 5). Note: Kuna (high-content female, aged 6), has lived with Georgina since 2009. The bond built between these two inspired Georgina to open the province’s only official wolfdog rescue non-profit organization. cochrane-tourism.ca | 21