By Maddie Cogan

Supporters can purchase supplies through Amazon

CHESAPEAKE — The Southern Ohio Wolf Sanctuary, owned and operated by John and Tina DeBoard, opened in 2014.

At first, “it started with only one wolf-dog, then we got more and more,” John said.

Currently, there are 23 wolf-dogs at the sanctuary, located at 3416 County Road 124, but the number is constantly changing, due to adoptions.

The sanctuary is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and John devotes all his time to take care of the animals.

“It takes time and patience,” he said. “Some dogs need socialized, which may take longer than others.”

Each day, John cleans the cages, cleans the water buckets and gives the wolf-dogs fresh food and water.

The wolf-dogs at the sanctuary have been rescued for different reasons.

“Wolf-dogs are different than domestic dogs,” he said. “Sometimes, people bite off more than they can chew, some are unsocialized or some are from dog breeding gone wrong.”

The dogs at the sanctuary have various percentages of wolf in them. When John takes them in, he sends out a DNA test.

Testing the DNA of the dogs “makes adoptions higher, so the customer knows what they are getting” and to protect the sanctuary to ensure “we don’t send a dog with a higher percentage to a state it isn’t supposed to go.”

“It’s for personal protection and for the dogs,” he said.

John says he is excited for the future of the sanctuary.

“We have different ways for people to help,” he said.

Southern Ohio Wolf Sanctuary’s Amazon Wish List is “constantly updated” with items for the dogs such as food.

“If you don’t want to give to us directly, you can use Amazon Smile and select us as your charity and a portion of your Amazon purchase will be donated to us,” John said.
“We want the public to know what is going on and where the money is going to the animals,” he said.

For more ways to donate, visit southernohio wolfsanctuary.com/index.html.