Merely 30 days ago, Castiel was devoid of everything – no shelter to call his own, no kin to belong to and not even an identity. He existed in isolation as a vagrant “canine”, aimlessly roaming around the outskirts of Los Angeles.
It was hard to tell whether Castiel had once been someone’s companion or not. However, it was clear that he had been fending for himself for quite some time. He was in a sorry state, severely undernourished, and infested with parasites. His mange had caused him to lose large patches of fur. Though Castiel looked like an ordinary dog from afar, the rescuers quickly discovered that he was actually a mix of wolf and dog.
The search was on to find a safe haven for Castiel, a hybrid dog, to avoid the possibility of being put down due to lack of proper care in a shelter. Fortunately, the W.O.L.F. Sanctuary in Colorado, known for rescuing wolves and wolf dogs, came to the rescue and saved the one-year-old Castiel.
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Once Castiel had undergone his initial veterinary care, he was relocated to an alternate medical facility where he could stay until he was fully recovered and fit enough to be transported to the sanctuary.
Upon Castiel’s arrival, the staff immediately noticed his timid nature and reluctance to engage with his new surroundings. He tended to retreat to corners and avoid contact with humans.
Following his stay in the medical facility, Castiel began to unwind and take it easy, even though he still devoted the majority of his time to recovering.
However, Castiel’s colleagues observed another aspect about him.
According to Michelle Proulx, the head of animal care at W.O.L.F. Sanctuary, the director had multiple furry companions in the form of dogs.
The medical facility was situated within her premises and we observed that he was becoming increasingly fascinated by other dogs. This led us to believe that he was beginning to feel the absence of a furry friend and we made a decision to look for a suitable companion for him.
As Castiel became more interested in his environment and started to explore, the sanctuary decided that he was ready to move to his permanent residence. The search for the right companion began at this point.
According to Proulx, W.O.L.F. contacted several sanctuaries that specialize in wolves and wolf dogs to look for a young female wolf dog that needed a home. Luckily, they received a positive response very quickly. This highlights the issue of the large number of these animals in need of homes. Consequently, the W.O.L.F team traveled to the Gray Wolf Wolfdog Rescue in Wisconsin to adopt Tenali, a 3-year-old wolf dog.
According to Proulx, the feedback on her was positive as it was claimed that she is a very amiable person who can bond with any creature.
The speaker explained that they believed it would benefit Cas, who requires companionship, to have a suitable animal friend. They did not want Cas to feel the need to defend himself from an unsuitable animal while he was unwell.
In contrast to Castiel, Tenali is full of vigor and enthusiasm. According to Proulx, when they were introduced together, Tenali was eager to play while Castiel appeared to be hesitant with all the attention. Castiel may have been used to being alone for an extended period, but now he has Tenali to keep him company.
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At the beginning, Castiel maintained a distant attitude towards Tenali. However, Tenali’s exceptional communication skills and ability to understand the situation helped her handle the situation adeptly. Instead of forcing herself upon Castiel when he withdrew, Tenali switched her focus to other activities.
Proulx shared that it took a couple of days for Castiel to trust his new wolf dog companion. However, as time went on, he began to feel more at ease and even started playing with the wolf dog more frequently. It’s been heartwarming to see Castiel, who was once extremely timid, become more comfortable and confident with his furry friend. The bond between the two grows stronger with each passing day.
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