Sasha and Keechee

Sasha Sasha and Keechee are two arctic wolf sisters who were born in 1998. They were sold to a woman who just adored wolves when only a couple of months old. She bonded really strongly with them, but the sisters were terrified of her husband. For this reason, they were kept in a 10 ft. by 15 ft. shed in the back yard for nearly ten years. While the woman loved Keechee and Sasha, she just didn’t understand that they needed more space.

When the woman passed away, her husband was left to care for the wolves by himself. He couldn’t get close without the sisters panicking and crashing into the sides of the shed. The husband knew that this was a bad situation and contacted the local veterinarian about euthanizing them. The vet suggested that he take a little more time before making such a permanent move and look for a wolf refuge that could take Keechee and Sasha.

He found Mission:Wolf’s website and contacted them about his problem. Since they had so many older male wolves living on their own at the refuge, Mission:Wolf jumped at the prospect of taking in two females. Three staff members drove the seven hours out to Keechee and Sasha’s home to pick them up. When they arrived, they were amazed by how terrified the wolves were of all humans. They brought two kennels into the shed, hoping to catch the sisters without having to sedate them. Sasha thankfully ran into one of the kennels, looking for shelter, and they were able to just close the door. Keechee, however, was a different story. She ran around and bounced off the walls of the shed so quickly, that our staff had to use a dart gun loaded with tranquilizers to catch her.

Once the girls arrived at the refuge, they were placed in one of the more secluded enclosures. Now that they were in a new environment, with other wolves to stimulate them, the sisters both wanted to be the alpha of their small pack. They started to fight, so the staff separated them to prevent any injury.

In just a short few months, Sasha and Keeche came a long way from the terrified, fear-barking wrecks they were when they arrived. Sasha came to trust the refuge staff enough to come up to the fence whenever someone walked by, curiously trying to figure out what they were doing.

Then, during a particularly loud thunderstorm in August 2008, Sasha was frightened over or under (they’re still not sure which) the division fence and back in with Keechee. The sisters coexisted peacefully enough, but Sasha quickly fell ill. Within a few days of magically transporting herself in with her sister, Sasha passed away.

Even though Sasha wasn’t at Mission:Wolf very long, she will always be remembered as a dear member of the family. Her gentle smile and tentative trust endeared her to all who met her. For a wolf who spent her life running from people, it touched everyone’s hearts that she slowly climbed up to the fence and tenderly licked the hand of one of the staff members on her last day.

Left alone, Keechee mourned the passing of her sister. At the other end of the refuge a male wolf named Druid was also lonely – he had just lost his companion of 13 years. The staff decided to introduce the two wolves to each other. Thankfully Keechee and Druid hit it off and are still living together happily.

Keechee