"Aloo" is a wolf hybrid that found herself abandoned at a Michigan SPCA when she was just 3 months old. She spent a number of years bouncing from one home to another, since she could not be trained or housebroken, and eventually ended up back in the shelter with no prospect of ever being placed again.
The Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center (Sanctuary) recieved a desperate plea asking if we could find a home for her, and we were more than glad to offer her a permanent home with us. Once she arrived, Aloo was placed in an enclosure next to two of the Sanctuary's wolf packs in hopes she could eventually join one of them. Yet it soon became evident that Aloo was facing far more serious challenges than deciding which pack she might want to join.
Within a couple of weeks after her arrival, it was obvious to both staff and to volunteers that Aloo had serious medical issues, as her back hips were causing her great pain when she walked... and she continually regurgitated food and water after eating or drinking. Her hip problem was easily explained since she had the same bad hip structure commonly found in many German shepherds (Aloo is part German Sheepherd). But her serious digestive problems would require further evaluation by veterinary specialists.
After an intense examination and and complete set of x-rays, Aloo's problem was clear. She had a disease commonly called "Megaesophagus". Megaesophagus is a condition in humans, cats, and dogs where Peristalsis fails to occur properly and the esophagus is enlarged. Normally, when the dog's esophagus is functioning properly, it acts as a muscle and pushes the food down the esophagus into the stomach. However, when a dog has megaesophagus, the esophagus stays enlarged and does not push the food down to the stomach. Therefore, the food fails to enter the stomach and often stays in the esophagus, and is eventually regurgitated.
At this point two things were evident to the Sanctuary. One - Aloo's serious medical issues that would require specific medications to be given to her throughout the day for her digestive system to function... and two - she was a sweet and endearing little wolf who consistently gave back more love than she recieved. It seemed only natural to adopt Aloo into the dog pack that resides at the office, where she could rest without having to overstrain her hips... and the Sanctuary could dispense her medication while monitoring her dietary intake.
Today, Aloo has found a comfortable niche in life and has become a wonderful part of the Sanctuary family. She loves being part of the unofficial office dog pack, and evne enjoys playing with the African lion cubs they recently rescued. We are so glad we were able to accomodate her special needs, as she would have surely met with rejection anywhere else. Sometimes life just works out for those who are innocent and in need of a helping hand. The Sanctuary is grateful to their donators for helping them to provide Aloo with a positive outcome.
To learn more about the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center, visit
www.WildAnimalSanctuary.Org.
