In August 2018, a young woman contacted W.O.L.F. about a sixteen-week-old male wolf dog pup needing sanctuary placement. The pup, named Kai, was born to a private breeder in April 2018. A person contacted the breeder about buying the pup, but asked the breeder to hold onto him until he was eight weeks old. The sale fell through, and the breeder began dropping the sale price as Kai grew older. 

A young woman heard about him and went to see the pup. He was isolated in a small room because the breeder did not want him to bond with anyone unless they agreed to buy him. The pup was frightened when she arrived, so the woman could not leave him. She immediately bought him and took him home.

Through constant love, dedication, and tireless work, she and the little pup, whom she named Kai, formed a very strong bond. The young woman’s living situation changed, and she realized that she did not have adequate space to accommodate the young wolf dog. She contacted W.O.L.F. to determine if placement at the Sanctuary was an option.  W.O.L.F. management determined that Kai was a potential companion for another animal.

Kai arrived at the Sanctuary and was eventually introduced to Tenali. At first, she was overwhelmed by Kai’s enthusiasm. She began to play, wrestle and roughhouse with Kai for hours.  It looked like things were going well between the two of them.

Since W.O.L.F. already had an animal named Kai, staff asked his mom if W.O.L.F. could change his name. She agreed, and he received the new name of Zakai, which means “innocent” in Hebrew. The name fit him perfectly. 

Tenali quickly took a maternal role with Zakai, and they became inseparable.  Her confidence helped him overcome his fear of humans. Zakai remains more cautious than Tenali, but as he has grown, he has become more interactive.  He now enjoys attention from his caretakers. This once small and timid puppy has grown into a big, handsome wolf dog whose silly and playful personality makes him a favorite for many.

Zakai and Tenali were moved to their new forever home in August of 2023.  They immediately began to explore their large habitat.  The duo enjoys sunbathing, playing chase, and running the fence line with their neighbors.  Zakai likes to stalk Tenali and jump on her when she least expects it.  Both Zakai and Tenali love spending time on their “mulch couch”.