Southgate Elementary School adopted an unlikely pet last week.
The adoption of Spirit the wolf was the result of a weeklong election in which students could choose which wolf in a Colorado wolf sanctuary they would most like to have their school associated. Students were introduced to one of the wolves earlier this month, when representatives of Mission: Wolf brought one of the animals to Southgate.
Principal Jerri Lynne Dedrick said she first got the idea to bring Mission: Wolf to the school after attending a Mission: Wolf presentation outside of school. She said she thought the students would enjoy the presentation and asked Mission: Wolf to visit Southgate.
Representatives from the sanctuary brought one wolf and one wolf-dog hybrid. The difference, Dedrick said, is the wolf-dog hybrid is born of one wolf and one dog, whereas the purebred wolf is the spawn of two wolf parents. Some people keep wolf-dog hybrids as pets, Dedrick said, but it is not a good idea.
They can’t really be considered anything but wild animals if they have a wolf hybrid in them, she said.
After the presentation, students were given a week to look at Mission: Wolf’s Web site, read biographies of all the wolves and choose a wolf they would like to adopt. By adopting the wolf, the school would pay to sponsor the wolf, which actually goes to the wolf sanctuary.
The wolves students were asked to choose from included: Abraham, Amulet, Aurora, Aspen, Daisy, Druid, Fenris, Ghost, Guiness, Hina, Kawh, Kestrel, Luna, Maggie Merlin, Mowgli, Nedd, Nyati, Obediah, Orion, Rami, Rogue, Sabretooth, Selway, Soleil, Spirit and Tierra.
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