A woman in Maine has been operating her wolf sanctuary for 22 years without legal authority and the proper permits to do so. Brenda Foster opened, “Runs With Wolves Sanctuary” in 1988 and has slipped under the radar of proper administration and oversight. The Maine Warden Service is investigating.

This bit of news certainly raises a plethora of questions, most of which I am going to assume will never be investigated and answered by the Maine Warden Service or any other law enforcement agency. The biggest question that comes first to my mind is, without proper oversight, are there any records of what has happened to all the wolves for the past 22 years? The report in the Portland Press Herald states that Foster currently has 5 wolves. Surely these aren’t the only wolves she has kenneled over the past 22 years.

Consider the facts on the ground. Maine has a serious deer management problem. Predator populations are out of control, even though fish and game authorities refuse to acknowledge the extent to which this problem has affected deer populations in some regions.

Another fact recently discovered is that the “coyotes” in Maine are really a coyote/wolf hybrid. While conjecture from many say that the wolf hybridization comes from “native” wolves migrating down for Eastern Canada, this simple bit of knowledge certainly has to raise a curtain of doubt. Did Foster’s wolves escape? Were they intentionally released into the wild? Did she sell or give her wolves away? And if so, where did they go and what happened to them after that? Where are they now? What about disease? Wolves carry many, many diseases, most of which are harmful to humans and potentially deadly? Were these animals always under the care of veterinarians?

Assuming that a licensed wolf sanctuary would be required to keep records of all this information, where Foster was not licensed, did she keep records or was all of her actions simply rooted in kindheartedness, willfully breaking the law for selfish reasons?

Probably most people will sympathize with Foster, saying that she is compassionate and caring for her wolves, while her intentions were good. The truth is the potential is here for some very serious consequences that may end up costing the state of Maine in ways unimaginable; some that can never be reversed. You have to have some expanded knowledge of wolves to grasp a better understanding of how serious this is.

All too often the eyes of scrutiny befall on the hunter, as the one who might cause harm to our wildlife and at the same time people have made assumptions or turned a blind eye to the operation Foster was running; an operation, that if it was not run in an extremely responsible manner, could be costly.

Let’s hope for the citizens of Maine’s sake, Foster can account for every wolf she ever housed and cared for.

This blatant disregard of our laws cannot be simply overlooked. Maine residents I hope will be demanding answers.

Tom Remington

Related Posts