When the world grows cold… love still finds a way.
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, July 25, 2025
In this vast and shifting wilderness we call the world, some paths feel lonelier than others.
And sometimes, standing for truth feels like howling into a wind that never answers back.
But take heart, dear packmate.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…
I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
—John 15:18–19
When you feel rejected, it’s not always because you’re wrong.
Sometimes it’s because you’re no longer of this world at all.
Last Yesterday, I shared a message about Mother Teresa and the fierce love she carried through hostile territory.
Of course, I don’t compare myself to her in any way.
I simply found it cathartic to realize it doesn’t matter how kind, strong, honest, or dedicated a person is; there will always be haters.
One Inner Circle member, Catherine, chimed in with a reply that gave me goosebumps:
“The world hates truth. This is the spirit of darkness at work. Time to brush the dust off our feet and find people of peace and light. Keep spreading the truth. We are listening and believe!”
Yes.
That’s exactly it.
Even in the coldest moments of modern life that may feel like an Ice Age—where truth is often buried beneath layers of distraction and deceit—there are still glowing fires.
Still warm dens.
Still souls that crave the light.
Yesterday, I received a call from a woman in Florida.
Her voice was tender, worn, and brave.
She had just lost her dog, Duke, a golden-hearted Golden Retriever who served her family with quiet devotion until cancer took him at just nine years old.
And in her season of grief, she asked the question that so many before her have whispered into the cold:
"Is there another dog who could ever love us like he did?"
The neat thing is that she didn’t find us by accident.
Her pastor, who is an Inner Circle member, pointed her our way.
Now, not everyone is the right match for an American Dirus™ dog.
But as she spoke, I could feel it.
That spark.
That steady heartbeat.
That readiness to welcome new pawprints into her life.
And I smiled, because I knew she belonged with us.
Our dogs aren’t flashy.
They’re not made for the spotlight.
They are deep waters.
They watch, listen, and wait.
They know when you're hurting, and somehow always find the exact spot where the ache lives… and settle there.
Quiet as snowfall.
And what they give in return is unshakable loyalty.
A heart that mirrors yours.
A kind of love that doesn’t flinch when the world turns against you.
They are, in many ways, like the love of God itself—unconditional, enduring, and fiercely protective.
Is it a coincidence that Dog is God spelled backwards?
I think not.
I’ve seen too many miracles with four paws to think otherwise.
So if the world feels like it’s getting colder…
If you’re wandering without a firelight to guide you…
Look to the ones who love without condition.
The ones who guard the heart, not just the home.
The ones who don’t need words to speak truth.
Look to a tail-wagging furry companion.
Especially one bred from intuition and peace.
A dog that chooses their people like old souls remembering someone they knew long ago.
If an American Dirus™ dog is calling to you…
Don’t ignore the pull.
Because some companions aren’t found.
They’re sent.
P.S. Our Happy Days litter just hit 6 weeks old!
Their photos have been freshly updated, and their little personalities are already shining like sunlight off a frozen lake.
Come take a peek before they grow into their legendary paws:
Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.