Wolfdog Kefyra

Name Meaning: “young lioness”   |   Name Origin: Hebrew   |   Nickname: Fy or Fy Fy |   Height at Shoulder: 30″   |   Weight: 90 lbs   |   Content: High

The Call For Help

Kefyra and Jeddak’s rescue story is the worst of all our animals. It was also the catalyst for many more of our rescues to find their home here. We rescued Jed and Fy in June of 2019, right after acquiring our home and land for the sanctuary. We had moved in only 2 weeks before getting a call from two people we knew. This couple lived near a wolfdog breeder in Oregon at the time and learned that this breeder had stopped feeding most of her animals and that some were near death due to starvation. Jeddak and Kefyra were in the worst shape of them all. We were told if we didn’t leave that day or the next to get them, they probably wouldn’t survive. So, we immediately hooked up our trailer and loaded the kennels so Jon could leave for Oregon.

The Rescue

After a 12-hour drive to Oregon, Jon was greeted by the two caring people who had called us. They wanted to help with the rescue. The conditions of the breeder’s property were really bad. Water troughs were not filled with water, rather they had green/brown sludge. Areas, where the animals had tried to dig out, were filled with bones from past feedings to try and keep the dogs from digging completely out, and all the animals were in very small makeshift containments. While loading Jed and Fy into kennels in the trailer, Jon noticed an 8″ untreated gash on Kefyra’s neck that appeared to have been there for several weeks. Both Jeddak and Kefyra were in critical condition, and time was of the essence. Jon left immediately to head to our vet in Washington. It was a long 12-hour drive through the high desert and mountains. Temperatures climbed into the 90s that day, so Jon stopped to check on Jed and Fy every hour to make sure they were still alive, and to offer them water.

The Medical Treatment

Jon arrived at our vet’s office with Jeddak and Kefyra around 2 in the morning that same night. He slept in the trailer next to them until our vet and her team arrived. Our vet could tell the situation was severe and was nervous about giving sedation because of how weak they both were. She and Jon talked over the options and agreed that they needed to proceed with treatment. We all prayed Fy would make it through surgery. She weighed in at 50 lbs when her proper weight should have been around 85 pounds. Jeddak was treated as soon as Kefyra made it out of surgery. He weighed in at 55 pounds when his proper weight should have been around 95 pounds. It took our vet and her team 5 hours to work on the two of them to get them into a somewhat stable condition. After their treatment was complete, our very matter-of-fact vet turned to Jon and said, “these two could have died at any time due to their condition.”

Arriving Home

When Jon arrived home, the rest of our pack could tell two new pack members had just arrived. They were welcomed with their native songs. Jeddak and Kefyra were still very weak. We knew they weren’t out of the woods yet. All the other wolfdogs seemed to sense this too, as the whole pack remained very calm and quiet for the first week and a half of Jed and Fy’s recovery.

Nursing Them Back to Health

We kept them in the house for two weeks to recover and gain back some strength. Kefyra was so weak, she couldn’t stand for 5 days. We hand-fed small portions of food to them every couple of hours as their digestive tracts had started to shut down from being starved for so long. If they tried eating more than a baseball size amount of food, they would throw it up. Jeddak had a hard time keeping anything down for 2 days no matter the amount. By days 3 and 4, we were confident they were going to survive. Day by day they got stronger and so did their trust in us.

Forever Home

After two weeks of healing inside, we let Kefyra and Jeddak out into their enclosure for the first time. Tears of joy filled our eyes as we watched them eagerly explore their new home. It was the first time they had ever seen trees, ferns, and rolling hills. They had only known a twenty-foot by twenty-foot cage with a desert floor before coming here. They were enamored with the forest smells and sounds. They were filled with curiosity as they watched birds fly from tree to tree. After about 20 minutes of exploration, Kefyra then Jeddak both came up to Jon and me, and I swear they were thanking us. They both individually approached us, looked at us and you could just feel how happy and grateful they were. It was a day we’ll never forget and always cherish.

Kefyra Now

Although we could pet, brush and interact with Fy while she was in the house, once we let her out into her enclosure, she chose to keep her distance. It took us about 6 months of working with Kefyra for her to feel comfortable enough to let us touch her, but now she loves getting attention and lovin’ from us! She’ll come up and give the gentlest kisses on our faces and then run off and rub against the fencing or her water trough because she is so happy to have kind human interaction. It’s been three and a half years, and she is the happiest and most beautiful she’s ever been.

This big girl loves her life mate Jeddak and her FOOD…which, understandably so. This was another thing she had to come to realize, that she would get fed every day and that she wouldn’t have to fight to get her fair share. This took time, I’d say about two years, but her relationship with food is much healthier now. She doesn’t inhale her meals in fear that they’ll get stolen from other hungry animals anymore. Don’t get me wrong, she still eats quite fast, but it’s not in a frantic manner anymore. One of the things that I just love seeing when I look out the window is Fy lying in her large enclosure with the most peaceful look on her face as her nose is tilted ever so slightly up into the fresh mountain breeze first thing in the morning. You can feel her contentment and joy in those moments, moments that this incredible girl most certainly deserves.