Wolf Dog on trial sitting in isolation for over a year
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, July 17, 2024
Yesterday, I received a phone call from a heartbroken wolf dog owner desperately seeking help and support.
Almost a year ago in August 2023, I reported on another alleged wolf dog attack… this time in Cleveland, Ohio.
As I do anytime there is a wolf dog attack, mauling, or fatality, I produced a video for the Wolf Dog Channel on YouTube where a wolf dog is being taken into custody by local animal control authorities.
It was extremely painful to watch as the confused large wolf dog named Briccs, resisted being forcibly taken from its home.
Unfortunately, almost a year later, this wolf dog bite case is still ongoing.
All parties involved (the bite victim, the wolf dog, and the wolf dog’s owner) continue to suffer emotionally from the incident.
At this time, there is no resolution in sight.
Briccs, identified by a witness at the scene, still lingers in isolation enclosed in a cement kennel awaiting a trial that has been pushed off once again for another 3 months.
The wolf dog owner, who identified himself as Jesse James March, was kind and respectful on the phone, but I could tell he had intense determination, passion, and pent up emotion welling up inside.
His voice quivered as he talked about being willing to do whatever it took to get his wolf dog back unharmed.
Because Jesse reached out to me specifically to let me know there may be more to the story, I will be investigating this incident further, possibly even doing an interview with Jesse Mark to answer some of the questions I have had since the beginning of this case.
But that’s not even the craziest thing about all of this.
The wildest part of yesterday’s call is that it came on the
sixth anniversary TO THE VERY DAY
of an American Alsatian’s (Smokey) death
at the hand’s of local authorities.
Without any investigation or trial, Smokey (a giant American Alsatian from Lois’s kennels) was euthanized by local animal control.
The story from Smokey’s owner, Adam, went like this.
“On the evening of July 16, 2018, a neighbor’s dog (a pug.... another pug and boxer were also in his yard that didn’t come through the fence) escaped through a hole in the THEIR fence, entered MY yard, and confronted Smokey who was secured to a 6-foot tie out. Unfortunately, Smokey bit the dog. (Thankfully, the neighbor’s dog has fully recovered after a quick visit to the vet.)
”I was not at home at the time, but my mother observed this unfortunate event and followed the law by immediately calling animal control and police to report the dog-on-dog event. Animal Control arrived and advised my mother that Smokey must be quarantined and asked that she sign the necessary forms.
”Due to Smokey’s size, I came home and took him to Animal Control for his 10-day quarantine. There was a ‘vicious dog hearing’ scheduled for the 10th day of the quarantine period. Which turns out WASN’T FOR SMOKEY AT ALL. It was for Jags, my mother's German Shepherd.
”Smokey was KILLED while in custody of Providence Animal Control at some point prior to that hearing (which is mandated for all dogs involved in an incident by Rhode Island code RI Gen L § 4-13.1-11 (2014))
”I’m trying to get to the bottom of what happened, but Providence Animal Control is stonewalling me and everyone else. Who killed Smokey? How did they kill Smokey? Why did they kill Smokey? They are also trying to go after my other dog who wasn’t even involved in the incident.
Murdered without Cause!! JUSTICE FOR SMOKEY!!!”
Smokey’s tragic story is one of the reasons why we provide Embark DNA on each puppy bred into the Dire Wolf Project.
Many of our dogs now look very similar to a wolf dog, especially to anyone unfamiliar with wolf dogs.
Because of the serious stigma regarding wolf dogs in this country, our dogs must be protected from the rampant issues with wolf dog breeding and ownership.
Having DNA proof that your dog contains NO modern wolf ancestry can be a literal lifesaver should something happen causing you to be in the crosshairs of local animal control authorities.
There is no question that laws need to change about wolf dog breeding and ownership in this country.
When a wolf dog lingers in isolation FOR A YEAR pending a trial that keeps being pushed back, everyone suffers… including the lonely wolf dog.
Dogs are pack animals living in family units.
They cannot thrive in isolation for long periods of time.
We reserve solitary confinement for only the most hardened criminals because of the severe emotional cruelty it causes.
There is NO call for this type of segregated treatment for any canine.
Especially when there is still no ruling on if Briccs was actually the animal that attacked the woman in Cleveland, Ohio.
I know this topic is hard to think about.
No one wants to imagine animals suffering or humans being attacked.
It’s always a sad and tragic discussion.
But dog breeding and ownership comes with a real responsibility.
When we choose to bring that precious life into our lives, we enter into an unspoken contract.
That animal gives its all to us, and in return, expects us to give our all to it.
We must be willing to protect that precious life from those who want to harm or destroy it.
For it cannot protect itself.
Our human world is too complicated.
Here is the link to the original video I produced last year archiving the wolf dog attack in Cleveland, Ohio:
This channel is where we post all of the wolf dog stuff, so subscribe to keep up to date on all things wolf dogs.
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.