ODA takes steps to deregulate wolf-dog hybrids

March 4, 1998. . . Over the course of the next few months, the Oregon Department of Agriculture will eliminate one problem that has "dogged" the agency in recent years: What to do about wolf hybrids.

Since 1992, ODA has considered wolf hybrids-- domestic dogs cross bred with wolves-- as exotic animals covered by state law and requiring a special permit. That definition has brought with it confusion, unresponsiveness, and ambiguity along with a host of questions that are tough to answer.

Is the animal really part wolf? If so, is it more wolf than dog? How can you tell? Is it likely to pose a threat to people? Can it be effectively vaccinated against rabies?

"Treating wolf hybrids as exotics has been impractical and unnecessary, so we are eliminating a layer of regulation," says Chuck Craig, assistant director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "We are proposing to no longer consider wolf hybrids as an exotic animal."

ODA's plan to interpret the exotic animal law differently will allow local animal control officials to handle wolf hybrids as they see fit. The proposal is backed by the the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and Oregon Animal Control Council.

"I think it's a very responsible way to deal with the issue because it puts the situation under local control and under behavior based management," says State Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Clark, who adds that breed specific regulation has been chock-full of problems.

Currently, ODA has issued 63 exotic animal permits statewide for wolf hybrids covering 131 animals. (Some permit owners have more than one wolf hybrid.) No doubt hundreds if not thousands more wolf hybrids are owned in Oregon but not properly permitted. There is no way to tell as designation of an animal as a wolf-dog hybrid is by owner declaration only. Clark says there is no discernible genetic difference between the hybrids and domestic dogs.

However, there are some major differences in how each is treated under the current regulations. Domestic dogs can and are required to be officially vaccinated for rabies. At this time, there is no rabies vaccine licensed for use in wolf hybrids even though they may be predominately dog rather than wolf. Another problem encountered under the current system is in responding to an escaped wolf hybrid.

"Under an ODA permit, an escape or problem with an animal requires us to deal with it," says Clark. "We do not have an enforcement capability. We do not have an impounding capability. We do not have transportation vehicles for handling such animals. To do anything, we must contact the local animal control agency. If the animal was locally regulated, it could be dealt with immediately without going through us. It can be responded to in a matter of minutes as opposed to something that has to be negotiated between agencies which can take days."

There were at least two instances last year when responding to wolf hybrids on the loose or facing neglect had to wait while ODA and local animal control agencies wrestled with the issue of who can and should respond. Turning control of wolf hybrids to local authorities will eliminate such tangles in the future.

There is also the issue of caging the animals. Exotics as permitted by ODA are required to be kept in a special holding facility and not allowed to be out of the cage except to be transported to a veterinarian. By deregulating wolf hybrids, counties will be allowed to treat them as dogs, thus eliminating the caging requirements.

"Breed specific regulations are fraught with problems as opposed to behavior based regulation, which normal, local dog control ordinances are," says Clark. "If the animal is nice and well behaved, fine. If it is a nasty, mean and vicious animal-- be it a pit bull, rottweiler, German shepherd, cocker spaniel or wolf hybrid-- then it is a nasty, mean animal that should be treated as such."

Dangerous dog ordinances already exist in counties and can be applied to cover wolf hybrids that may be a problem.

Clark and others don't believe wolf hybrids will be any more of a public safety threat if no longer considered an exotic animal in Oregon.

"There have been wolf hybrid attacks on humans, but that has been the case with most other dog breeds as well," he says. "There is no place in dog control ordinances that allows any dog to run free and be a nuisance. If wolf hybrids fall under dog control ordinances, they are not allowed to run free any more than other dogs are allowed to run free. There is responsibility on the part of the owner of any canine--dog or wolf hybrid-- to control the animal and not let it be a nuisance."

Behavior based management of all canines makes the most sense to Clark, local animal control agencies, most veterinarians, and probably a majority of dog owners.

"There is documentation of a chihuahua that killed a person," says Clark. "I don't know the details. But does that mean we should have a large chain link fence for all chihuahuas? If wolf hybrids are under local regulation, the local community can either accept them as dogs under dog control ordinances or create any other ordinance they wish. If they want tighter control-- including special caging requirements or other controls-- they can do so already. That's in statute right now."

Although the debate still rages as to the inherent qualities of wolf hybrids-- are they really more predatory or are they actually more shy and retiring?-- ODA's intent is to allow Oregonians to own wolf hybrids but in a manner in which they can be properly controlled. By treating them as exotics, the only control of the animal is to require its confinement to a cage. Clark and others feel there are better ways.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrew Clark at (503) 986-4680.

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