A wolf kept as a pet now has a family who loves him after he ran away from his previous home. Riggs escaped his owner in Oklahoma and began dumpster diving to survive. After three months of scrounging for food in garbage cans and people’s backyards, he was found in a backyard in a county where it is illegal to keep wolves and wolf dogs.
Riggs was darted by animal control and taken to an animal shelter where he was given just 48 hours to live before he would be euthanized. Paula and Steve, the founders of Apex Protection Project, got a call about Riggs and knew they wanted to save him. So they immediately jumped in the car to make the 19 hour drive to rescue him in time.
Riggs immediately bonded with Steve and the two became immediately attached at the hip. Initially they thought Riggs was mostly a dog but they learned that he was, in fact, 100% gray wolf. Steve says Riggs is very different from most wolves that Apex has taken in.
Riggs loves being around people and is very affectionate with Steve and Paula says the pair have a father-son relationship.
Steve says wolves are a lot like people but love each other so much and take very good care of one another. So much so that he says, “If we could live more like wolves we’d be better off.”
Apex Protection Project is based out of California and accredited by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the United States Department of Agriculture. To support them visit their website.
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