Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center

My boyfriends favorite animal Is a wolf. I had been trying to take us here for a visit for a while but it's so popular, it's always booked up. Thankfully I found on opening on our anniversary weekend and booked it like 6 months in advance.

The experience was so fun. The volunteers were all so nice and knowledgeable and you could tell they really liked being there.

We got to pet two wolves, a tortoise and a prairie dog. But we got to see so many more animals. A bunch of wolves and wild dogs, as well as a cougar, a bobcat and more.

It was such a good experience. They are in the process of building and moving to a larger facility and we plan to visit again once they make the move.

This was truly an enjoyable experience for all ages. Our tour guide, Debbie Loverde, was exceptional in explaining what was expected of our group. The sanctuary is well maintained and enlightening. We will return for a private tour.

Best experience with Judy! The animals are treated with such love and care you can tell they are all a little spoiled. Worth the wait since you have to book months in advance, such a heartfelt experience

Because the tours are limited, book way in advance if you want to visit.
We are down for several months so we were finally able to book.
We visited on Wednesday, and overall it was a great experience. I've always had an affinity for wolves and considered them my "totem" animal.
Anyway, my wife and I finally had our opportunity and John, our guide, was informative and kept this 2+ hour tour interesting.
Most of the animals were wolf-dog hybrids and because they had recently done DNA testing, the amount of wolf DNA per animal was on display. The first thing they did was bring out a hybrid who was a house pet before coming to Shy Wolf. Don't remember his name (terrible with names), but he had very long hair and a very good disposition. Don't remember his wolf DNA, but I would say he was mostly dog as I don't recall wolves with a coat that long. I say long hair, because he took a liking to me and I was covered with hair.
The compound is in Golden Gate Estates in essentially a residential area. There is a new larger facility in the works, that looks like it will be a great place when completed.
The tour takes you past the enclosures where you meet the hybrids, the wolves, coyotes, a couple of "Singing Dogs". They all have their stories and a few are adoptable if you are so inclined. Unfortunately, most of these animal's stories are sad because of humans. Either owned by people who died or were unable to care for them, and then were handed off and mistreated along the way before coming here. Some have forgiven us for our sins and are sociable to certain extents and others, while not aggressive, don't want to be touched or are extremely shy and keep away. They are all respected here and are allowed to be who they are while being cared for.
Before you leave you are taken into one of the enclosures where you meet a couple of "Ambassador" hybrids that you can pet and take pictures with.
I think it's a great place for education and highly recommend it. Especially if you like Wolves, and Wolf-dogs.
They are a worthy operation and if you can't get here, or even if you can, please consider a donation.

This was so interesting and informative. Alyson was very knowledgeable about all ty animals. What a delight to be able to pet the wolf dogs. This is worth the wait to get in!

This a wonderful and educational place.

The main stars, the wolves, are active and shy. (Hence the SHY Wolf Sanctuary)

The tour involves walking throughout the sanctuary and stopping in a few different cages or stalls to sit and interact with the wolves IF they would like. The wolves tend to run around in a skittish manner. Some work their way closer than others.

There is a guide that talks you through the sanctuary as you walk around. There were also a few other animals to view.

Make sure to bring some money to donate and don't be a stingy person. They are doing really great work and all the money goes to a great cause.

This place is absolutely amazing!! Patty was our tour guide and she was so much fun and was very knowledgeable! We learned so many new things and being able to interact with some of the wolves was icing on the cake! I highly recommend going and everyone working/volunteering there were so awesome! All positive attitudes and fun to be around!

This was my second time visiting, and it was still just as cool as I remember. If you're looking for a zoo, or amusement park-like atmosphere, this is not for you. It's a small business, located in a residential neighborhood, with volunteers making up the majority of the employees.

After making reservations online, I arrived at 9 am for a two hour tour (a two hour tour). All the volunteers were busy cleaning the cages, raking the enclosures, and neatening everything up, and I felt like that care and attention were apparent throughout the visit.

All of the animals are in cages. I think we only saw a couple of pure wolves; I know that most of the wolf-like animals we saw were wolf hybrids, or wolf dogs, bred with some portion of wolf in them. The sanctuary also has a bobcat, prairie dog, fox, raccoons, a puma, and coyotes. None of these animals could be successfully released back into the wild, so that's how they ended up here.

We got to pet one through the cage, who seemed to love the attention, and we also got to go into the cage with the wolf dog Dancer and one other wolf hybrid. Dancer was so incredibly sweet and friendly - all she wanted to do was flop on my feet and roll over for belly rubs.

We also went into another pen, which held a wolf-like dog, and an old coyote that seemed to like being petted in small amounts.

There are no restrooms (just a porta-potty) or water fountains, so I recommend bringing a bottle of water, wearing bug spray, and having hand wipes handy. At the end of the tour, they provide an envelope for you to place a donation in - other than that, there is no charge. This is an incredibly interesting low-key form of entertainment, and I definitely recommend a visit.

We had a wonderful time visiting all the animals at the sanctuary. This is a great locally run rescue and it's one we are happy to support. Absolutely recommend a visit.

Magical? Breathtaking? Awe inspiring? I can't quite find words. The volunteers - and there are so so many of them - are kind and patient and passionate about what they are doing. And just what are they doing? Not just rescuing wolves and other animals from abuse and neglect. They also do outreach with school groups, foster children, battered women, and military groups. They educate and thereby prevent continued decimation of some of the most remarkable creatures. My heartfelt thanks to the founders owners and volunteers!! These were moments and memories for which I could not be more grateful.