Gray wolves once roamed across two-thirds of Texas. Today, not a single wild wolf remains in the state. Yet Texas is home to several wolf sanctuaries caring for hundreds of wolves and wolfdogs that can never return to the wild.
These aren’t conservation breeding programs. They’re rescue operations saving animals that humans raised as pets, then abandoned when reality hit. The wolves arrive terrified, scarred, and completely unprepared for life in the wild. They’ll spend the rest of their days behind fences because someone thought a wolf would make a cool pet.
The Pet Wolf Problem Nobody Talks About
Thousands of wolves and wolfdogs live in homes across America. Most owners quickly realize they’ve made a massive mistake. Wolves don’t act like dogs. They’re shy around people, need specialized diets, and require space most backyards can’t provide. When owners give up, domestic animal shelters usually have one option: euthanasia.
Texas Wolfdog Project receives over a hundred wolf care requests every year. Mission: Wolf and other sanctuaries scramble to find space for animals that would otherwise die simply because they can’t adapt to the wild after growing up around humans.
The cost of caring for these animals runs steep. A single wolfdog eats a strict diet of raw meat, bones, and supplements—over $5,000 worth annually. That’s just food. Add veterinary care, enclosures, and staff, and you understand why sanctuaries constantly need support.
Timber’s Story Shows the Reality
In late November 2008, animal control officer Tammy Chamness discovered a female wolfdog named Timber scheduled for euthanasia at a Grand Prairie shelter. Timber had suffered severe abuse and was terrified of people, especially men. Wolfdogs are prohibited in Grand Prairie, and shelters typically euthanize them immediately due to legal restrictions and limited sanctuary space.
Chamness refused to accept that outcome. She fought for Timber’s release, advocating until Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary in Texas agreed to take her. Those first days proved difficult. Timber wouldn’t let anyone near her. But patience and expertise from caregivers who’d worked with similar animals at Saint Francis slowly earned her trust. Within weeks, she licked her caregiver’s face and sat beside him on her dog bed.
Over six months, Timber transformed. The raw meat diet and consistent care helped her regain strength and grow back her fur. She adjusted to sanctuary life better than anyone expected, finding not just safety but a chance to truly heal. Her story shows both the resilience of these animals and the commitment sanctuaries make to give them fresh starts.
What Happened to Texas’s Wild Wolves
Gray wolves disappeared from Texas decades ago. Overhunting and habitat loss nearly wiped them out across the lower 48 states by the 1950s. The 1973 Endangered Species Act changed everything. By 2020, an estimated 7,500 gray wolves lived in the lower 48 states—a remarkable comeback.
Then in January 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act, handing management to individual states. Some states, like Wisconsin, moved fast. Over two days in February 2021, hunters killed 218 wolves—21% of Wisconsin’s population. Scientists say pregnant and nursing females likely died in that hunt, limiting spring births.
Montana legalized snare traps for wolves. Idaho passed a law allowing the culling of up to 90% of its wolf population using helicopters and ATVs. Michigan and Minnesota are planning potential wolf hunts. The conservation success story faces new challenges under varying state policies.
Texas won’t see wild wolves return anytime soon. The habitat has changed too much, and the state has no reintroduction plans. Mexico’s wolf population status remains unknown, and wolves may no longer exist there either.
The Weird Texas Pet Laws You Should Know
Here’s something that’ll surprise you: in Texas, you can’t legally own a wolf as a pet. Wolves join bats, diamondback terrapins, and indigenous birds on the banned list. Yet you can legally keep lions, tigers, ocelots, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, bobcats, lynx, bears, coyotes, jackals, baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, and hybrids—as long as you get a Certificate of Registration for “dangerous wild animals.”
You can also keep exotic venomous snakes, African rock pythons, Asiatic rock pythons, green anacondas, reticulated pythons, and southern African pythons with a Residential Controlled Exotic Snake Permit. Pet alligators require a special permit from the Department of Parks and Wildlife.
The logic seems backward until you remember these laws aim to protect specific species, not necessarily public safety. Wolves face different threats than other predators, which is why the rules differ.
Where Texas Sanctuaries Need Your Help
Three main wolf sanctuaries operate in Texas:
- Texas Wolfdog Project – Rescued Timber and continues saving wolfdogs across the state
- Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary – Provided Timber’s forever home and takes in animals other facilities can’t
- Twin Rivers Wolf and Wolfdog Sanctuary – Offers medical care, psychological support, and love to rescued animals
These nonprofits shelter, feed, and provide medical and psychological help to wolves and wolfdogs. They focus their education efforts on why wolves belong in the wild, not in houses. Every dollar donated goes directly to animal care—food, enclosures, veterinary bills, and staff who work daily with traumatized animals learning to trust again.
You can support these sanctuaries through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word that wolves don’t make good pets. The more people understand this before buying a wolf pup, the fewer animals end up terrified in shelters facing euthanasia.
Visit and Learn
Most Texas wolf sanctuaries offer educational tours where you can see these magnificent animals up close while learning about their needs and challenges. Visiting supports their mission and helps you understand why keeping these predators in the wild—not in backyards—protects both wolves and people.
Texas lost its wild wolves, but the sanctuaries working to save abandoned wolves and wolfdogs deserve our attention and support. They’re cleaning up a mess humans created, one rescued animal at a time.
Get Involved
Texas Wolfdog Project 24874 Weeren Road Montgomery, TX 77316 Phone: (855) 897-9653 Open: Saturdays, noon-5pm and by appointment Website: texaswolfdogproject.org
Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary 6731 Pavlock Road Navasota, TX 77868 Phone: (936) 894-9653 Open: By appointment only Website: saintfranciswolfsanctuary.org
Twin Rivers Wolf and Wolfdog Sanctuary 11395 Roese Road Iola, TX 77861 Phone: (936) 650-9418 Mailing: P.O. Box 1712, Bryan, TX 77803 Website: twinriversrescue.com
For more information about Texas wildlife regulations, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.
