00:00Demand for wolf hybrids is surging, and so are concerns among conservationists.
00:05They warn the phenomenon not only threatens the lives of wolves, but humans as well.
00:12National Geographic reports some wolfdog breeders have seen demands for the breeds
00:16go from hundreds of requests to thousands in a relatively short period of time.
00:21As demand has risen, so has the black market.
00:24More than 200 illegally mixed hybrids were seized in 2017 by Italian authorities
00:29reportedly smuggled in from North America, Scandinavia, and the Balkans.
00:34The legality of owning a wolfdog in Italy is nuanced.
00:37Wolfdogs' DNA must be put into a national registry,
00:40and international rules mean they must be of at least the fourth generation to be kept as pets.
00:46In the U.S., laws vary from state to state.
00:48In some states, it's legal to own a hybrid without a permit,
00:51while in others, a permit is required.
00:54Ownership is banned altogether in multiple states.
00:57Wolfdog ownership has sometimes turned deadly, like in the case of a 74-year-old Italian woman
01:02who was killed by her daughter's five wolfdogs while caring for them in a two-bedroom apartment.
01:08There have also been more than 20 documented cases of deadly wolfdog attacks in the U.S. between 1978 and 2023.
01:15Wolf conservationists also say many wolf hybrids end up abandoned
01:19because owners aren't prepared for the tall task of caring for them.
01:22They note they require big areas to roam around and do not take kindly to being kept in a house.
01:29There are reportedly more than half a million wolf hybrids in the U.S.
01:32Reputable breeders of wolfdogs say the animals are safe if bred and trained right.
01:38Conservationists argue the practice not only is dangerous,
01:41but harms wolf rehabilitation efforts globally,
01:44and warn many wild wolves are at risk of capture as part of illegal hybrid breeding efforts.
01:49For more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com.
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