Rare Wolf-Dog Hybrid Given To Shelter Finally Gets His 'Happily Ever After'

A rescue dog who has been identified as part wolf has found his forever home.

Four-year-old Zeus, was taken in by the rescue team at Potter League for Animals in Rhode Island. They thought that the large pup was likely a wolf-dog hybrid, believing he is one-third German Shepherd, one-third Husky and one-third wolf.

"As soon as I saw him in person my heart melted," new owner Ron Monroe from Vermont told Newsweek. "He is such a sweet boy."

Kara Montalbano, from Potter League for Animals, told Newsweek: "He was surrendered to us on December 22 by his former owner who clearly loved him dearly, but whose personal circumstances changed and he could no longer care for Zeus. His former owner informed us that Zeus came from a breeder that breeds hybrids and he was told and believed he was a mix of German shepherd, husky, and wolf. We are awaiting DNA results to confirm, however if he is a hybrid, they are not legal to privately own in Rhode Island and the surrounding states."

It is illegal to keep pure wolves as pets in the U.S. and they are protected under endangered wildlife species regulations. It is also illegal to own wolf-dog hybrids in many states—something which presented a problem when it came to re-homing Zeus.

The Federal Animal Welfare Act defines wolf-dogs as domestic animals under the same regulations as other breeds. But each state has its own policy on the animals.

In some states, including Rhode Island, it is completely illegal to keep a wolf-dog as a privately owned pet. But other states do allow them to be considered as domestic animals.

On January 5, Potter League for Animals shared an appeal to help Zeus find a new home in a state where it was legal for him to be owned as a pet.

"Zeus is illegal to privately own in Rhode Island and the surrounding states. Additionally, Zeus does have a medical condition making him prone to seizures which is managed by medication," Potter League for Animals told their followers in a post appealing for help to find Zeus a new home.

"He has lived with other dogs, cats, and kids, and most of his life has been that of an indoor dog, which makes sanctuary placement unsuitable," Potter League for Animals said. "There are a handful of states that he is legal to own, and we really need your help to reach those states. Vermont & New Jersey are the closest to us, but that is not to preclude other states further away that allow hybrids to be privately owned."

On Saturday, January 14, Potter League for Animals announced the happy news that Zeus had found his "happily ever after" in a post on Facebook.

"Zeus is great! He is affectionate, smart, gentle. He can be a bit anxious and really enjoys constant companionship. However, he is large at over 100lbs and can easily scale a 6 foot fence and has, so we knew a home that could enrich and exercise him physically and mentally would be essential to his overall well-being," said Montalbano. "Ron drove down on Saturday, met Zeus, spent some time with him, and as they say, the rest is history. It was a great match and we were absolutely thrilled."

At his new home in Vermont—where wolf-dog hybrids are legal—his adoptive owner is thrilled to have Zeus as a new family member.

"He loves to snuggle at night to sleep and loves playing outdoors in the snow," Monroe said.

It's not all been plain sailing though.

"He does have a lot of anxiety issues and needs lots of attention and love," Monroe said.

Nevertheless, Monroe says Zeus is a fantastic pet.

"The part-wolf aspect is amazing," he said. "People are drawn to him because of his looks and he is very friendly to everyone."

"In the long run he is going to thrive and be loved by all," said Monroe.

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Update 01/17/23 10.56 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional comment from Potter League for Animals rescue.