Wolf-dog recovering well after thousands of dollars worth of surgeries

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    Laporte (KCNC) — It’s been more than five months of intense rehab for an abused wolf-dog hybrid, and on Monday, 7-year-old Skye finally has a life worth living. CBS4 first met Skye in August when a she was flown from West Virginia to the veterinary clinic at Colorado State University.

X-rays showed signs of blunt force trauma. Her first emergency surgery would be the first of three over the next few months.

“She is very special. She’s got just a really strong spirit that, from the very beginning, when she first came in that first day into the hospital, it was very clear that she wanted to live and we wanted to give her every opportunity to do that,” said Michelle Proulex, Director of Animal Care and Educational Programs with the W.O.L.F. Sanctuary.

Skye will still have long-term problems including epilepsy, a result of her traumatic injuries, but she has come a long way.

Not only has her mobility improved, but doctors initially weren’t sure if her eyesight would return. Proulex will tell you today that Skye can see very well.

“She certainly has become a lot more outgoing, a lot more interested and has grown to a very big troublemaker! She keeps us on our toes all the time, she’s getting into everything. Extremely destructive, she loves to get up on the counters and into the drawer, into the cabinets. She loves to help me with paperwork which often times isn’t very helpful,” laughed Proulex.

She says because Skye is still fragile, she has a large space with access to the house, but reminds people she is still very much part wolf.

“Oh absolutely, she’s not a house dog. She loves being in the house, she likes being able to just lounge around inside, but as soon as you leave her alone, it usually takes her about two seconds to find something to do that she shouldn’t be doing,” she said.

The total cost for surgeries so far is more than $20,000, but it’s not uncommon for the sanctuary to break the bank when it comes to the care of their animals.

“This is what we do. This is our job, this is our mission and to give these maligned, abused and misunderstood animals the chance to live a fulfilled and fulfilling life? It’s worth it to us to help them.”

While Proulex has a special bond with all of the rescues, she believes Skye’s story in particular has a message worth sharing.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I would’ve given up a long time ago, so she has something to teach us about that will and about that passion for life and wanting to live it to the fullest,” she said.

If you would like to help support the animals at the W.O.L.F Sanctuary, You can make a donation.

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