THE STORY OF "MOOSE THE WOLFDOG" MOOSE WAS BORN IN NOVEMBER OF 1998, HIS MOTHER WAS A RED CANADIAN TIMBER WOLF AND HIS FATHER WAS A WHITE TIMBER WOLF/MALMUTE. HE WAS A LATE CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR MY HUSBAND, THEY BONDED RIGHT AWAY, HE WAS SO SMART AS A PUPPY GOT ALONG WITH THE OTHER ANIMALS AND EVERYBODY LOVED HIM. OUR LIFE REVOLVED AROUND OUR ANIMALS, WHEN IN 2004 WE HAD 4 HURRICANES COME RIGHT ACROSS US AND THREE FFET OF WATER IN OUR YARD AND HOME, WE WOULD NOT EVACUATE BECAUSE WE COULD NOT LEAVE OUR ANIMALS, THEY WERE OUR FAMILY. AFTER THE HURRICANES WE HAD TO MOVE DUE TO LOOSING ALOT OF BELONGINGS AND MOLD AND MILDEW, MY HUSBAND ALMOST DIED DURING THIS TIME AS HIS KIDNEY'S SHUT DOWN DUE TO AN ALERGIC REACTION TO ANTIBIOTICS AND MOOSE WAS THE ONE THAT ALERTED ME THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HIM. MY HUSBAND HAD NO BLOOD PRESSURE WHEN I GOT HIM TO THE HOSPITAL AND THEY DID NOT THINK HE WOULD MAKE IT, BUT WITH THE DOCTORS AND GOD LOOKING DOWN HE MADE IT. AFTER OUR MOVE TO OUR NEW HOME, MY HUSBANDS DAUGHTER KNEW ALOT OF THE FRIENDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SHE HAD GONE TO SCHOOL WITH BEFORE AND THEY KNEW MOOSE, ONE CHILD HE HAD KNOW SINCE HE WAS A PUPPY, SHE SPENT MANY NIGHTS AT OUR HOUSE AND MOOSE ALWAYS SLEPT WITH THE GIRLS. WE HAD OTHER ANIMALS, CATS, FERETTS, RABBITS, BIRDS AND MOOSE LOVED THEM ALL AND WAS SO GENTLE WITH THEM, THEN ONE AFTERNOON MY HUSBANDS DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND WERE PLAYING OUTSIDE AND MY STEPDAUGHTER SCREAMED WHILE BEING CHASED BY HER FRIEND AND MOOSE JUMPED UP ON HER AND SCRATCHED HER LEG. A SCRATCH IS CONSIDERED THE SAME AS A BIT IN OUR COUNTY. ANIMAL CONTROL CAME BUT DID NOT TAKE HIM, THEY ASKED US IF WE COULD BRING HIM IN THE NEXT DAY FOR A TEN DAY HOLD, WHICH BROKE OUR HEART BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER BEEN CAGED. I COMPLIED AND TOOK HIM, THEN ONE WOMAN AT ANIMAL CONTROL TOLD ME SINCE HE HAD WOLF IN HIM THEY WERE GOING TO PUT HIM DOWN. I ASKED HER WHY SHE LIED TO US AND HER ANSWER WAS "IF I HAD TOLD YOU THE TRUTH WOULD YOU HAVE BROUGHT HIM IN?" I TOLD HER IF I HAD KNOWN THAT SHE WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN MOOSE, I WOULD HAVE LEFT THE STATE. ANIMAL CONTROL IN OUR COUNTY IS OPERATED BY THE SHERIFF OFFICE. I FOUGHT LONG AND HARD TO SAVE HIM FOR 10 DAYS BUT THE LAWS WERE STACKED AGAINST ME. EVERYDAY I TOOK HIM FOOD AND SAT IN THE WET DIRTY CAGE WITH HIM FOR HOURS, ON HIS LAST DAY ANIMAL CONTROL MADE SURE IT WAS AFTER HOURS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY WANTED THE PUBLIC TO SEE OR HEAR ME WHEN I LEFT THERE, I WALKED HIM TO THE DEATH ROOM WITH MY STEPDAUGHTER, MY HUSBAND WAS SO UPSET HE COULD NOT BE THERE. I SHAVED HIS LEG AND HELD IN HIM MY ARMS WHEN THEY INJECTED HIM, HE WENT FAST, BUT I CLEARED OUT THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, I TOLD THEM TO GET THE HELL OUT AND LET US BE ALONE WITH HIM. WE STAYED WITH HIM FOR AWHILE THEN LEFT STUNNED AND NUMB, WE COULD NOT TAKE HIM WITH US, EVEN THOUGH MOOSE HAD HIS SHOTS THEY STILL WANTED TO HAVE HIM CHECKED FOR RABIES AND I AM SURE SOME OF YOU KNOW WHAT THIS INTAILS. WE LOST A VERY SPECIAL FRIEND THAT DAY, HE WAS LIKE OUR CHILD CUT DOWN IN THE PRIME OF HIS LIFE, WE HAD 6 1/2 WONDERFUL YEARS WITH HIM. I KNOW HE IS LOOKING DOWN ON US AND IS OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL. MARIA DAINES AND PAUL KILLINGTON WERE KIND ENOUGH TO WRITE A BEAUTIFUL SONG ABOUT HIM, THE WORDS ARE JUST WHAT MOOSE WOULD HAVE SAID TO US IF HE COULD HAVE SPOKEN. REST IN PEACE MOOSE, WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN ONE DAY.