Wolfdog escapes from Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary

A wolfdog has escaped from Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary. Photo credit: Facebook/Howling Timbers.

A wolf-dog hybrid has escaped from Howling Timbers Animal Sanctuary in Muskegon, Michigan, and is on the loose, according to the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

Around 12:00 p.m. April 9 MCSO posted on social media that a wolfdog escaped from a pen at Howling Timbers and was last seen near the 6800 block of Evanston Road. MCSO urged the public to be cautious and to not approach the wolfdog.

The incident comes just two days after a judge ruled that Howling Timbers owner Brenda Pearson must forfeit all of the wolfdogs to be placed at appropriate facilities. The judge also ruled that two wolfdogs that were previously involved in mauling a child must be euthanized. Read more about the case here.

During the trial, the judge heard testimony that four people had been bitten by wolfdogs at Howling Timbers but none of the bites had been reported to the health department. A neighbor testified that he shot a wolfdog that had escaped from Howling Timbers. The prosecution provided evidence that there had been other animal escape incidents at the facility.

Howling Timbers posted on social media that they would be appealing the judge’s ruling and the wolfdogs would remain at the sanctuary pending the results of the appeal. After the wolfdog escaped from Howling Timbers today, the facility commented “that particular animal was leaving to go to another facility.”

MCSO asked that any wolfdog sightings be reported to 911 or to the Department of Natural Resources.

UPDATE: MCSO confirmed that the wolfdog was recaptured about five hours after escaping.