Who we are:

Debra and I founded Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary in 2006 following a devastating event in our professional life and then the seizure of our two wolves, Sampson and Spirit, by wildlife authorities, due to a licencing issue.

After a few months, we acquired the proper license and our wolves were returned to us. Once licensed, the same wildlife authorities that seized Sampson and Spirit began asking us if we would take wolves they seized from other people and abusive situations. In order to maintain a good relationship with them, we reluctantly agreed and took the wolves in at our own personal expense.

Now Debra and I never set out to have a wolf sanctuary. However, after taking in a dozen or so wolves and wolfdogs, the financial burden was more than we could handle, so we decided to officially start Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary, form a corporation, and acquire our 501c3 non-profit status.

Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary is a Faith Based Wolf Rescue and Sanctuary for captive born wolves and wolfdogs that were either neglected/abused by their owners, or given up by those who were no longer able to care for them.

Regarding Faith, Hebrews 11:1—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

All the animals we’ve rescued here involved a decision based on Faith. If we believed in our hearts that God was moving us to rescue a particular wolf or wolfdog, we’d step out on faith and do so, regardless of our financial circumstances. We knew that as long as our hearts were pure and our motivation was to help the animal (not make money on it), the Lord would provide the necessary resources.

Nearly every rescued animal here required us to step out on Faith—because there was no money—and then trust God to meet our needs to care for them. After thirteen years, and rescuing well over one hundred, not once has He failed to honor our decisions of Faith, rather, He always more than sufficiently met each need!

Also, every aspect of the facility and all the wolves’ accommodations here are the result of prayerfully seeking God’s Wisdom. Since our hearts were pure and our motivation was to help these animals and provide the best possible life for them, we believe that God showed us some of their deeper needs, thereby allowing us to create a unique and innovative facility for them. So while we do in fact know that the wolf accommodations here are quite innovative and we acknowledge that we’re extremely proud of them, we also give the credit for their design to God, as it was, in fact, He who showed us what the wolves needed here and then directed us in the design of their accommodations.

The Bible actually has much to say regarding animals and animal abuse and we take it very seriously. First of all, we believe what The Bible says regarding creation. Genesis 1:25—“God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

We also believe that God created the earth and all the creatures on it to be cared for by us. Genesis 1:26—“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” And regarding neglecting and abusing animals. Proverbs 12:10—“A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” 

So according to these three scriptures—there are many more in regards to the animals—God made the animals, said it was good, and then gave us the responsibility of keeping it that way. He quite literally entrusted us with caring for these incredible animals and we believe He expects us to develop a keen sensitivity to their needs. Therefore, we believe that neglecting and/or abusing them is not only evil, but shows disrespect for God and indifference to His instruction regarding our treatment of animals.

Also, we believe what the bible says regarding creation, that all things were created by Jesus Christ. Colossians 1: 16-17—“For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”

So, we DO NOT worship “the creation” rather we worship Jesus Christ the “creator of all things” and we are “in awe of” His creation. Every aspect of it is perfection and testifies to His omnipotence, His wisdom, and His love for us—and of all living creatures.

Since He created the wolves and all animals, we seek His wisdom in caring for them. This involves allowing them to continuously show us who and what they are and then trusting God to show us how to meet their needs in this fallen world. This is a perpetual learning process and sometimes a very dangerous one—one that without God’s direction can easily involve a lethal dose of humility.

But over a difficult thirteen-year journey through the wilderness, the Lord has shown us an incredibly illuminating example of the power of His grace, through our relationships with the abused wolves. These mesmerizing, yet heart-warming examples will help people better understand God’s grace and reveal its miraculous life transforming power.    

We’ll be sharing many examples of how the previously abused, rescued wolves respond to the grace we extend them here. More specifically, how their attitudes and lives gradually transform when they realize that they’re loved and adored and that nothing they do to us out of the fears created by their abusive pasts will cause us to treat them in any way other than with love, acceptance, and nurture.

Additionally, we’ll also be encouraging people who love animals to examine their own thoughts and feelings toward animals that act out and are dangerous due to their abusive pasts. Examining our thoughts and feelings of empathy in these situations can help us develop a more accurate perspective of how God sees us, and bring us to the realization that He’s not mad at us, nor is He looking for an opportunity to punish us.

WHAT HE WANTS IS TO HAVE A LOVING, TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH US, JUST AS WE WANT LOVING, TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ABUSED ANIMALS WE RESCUE!

So the core focus of our mission is to help people realize how God really sees them, that He is not mad at them, and to understand once and for all that every sin ever committed—past, present, and future—was already punished in the body of Christ on the cross.

Romans 8:1—Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Who we aren’t:

Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary is not a wolf preserve with hundreds of acres. We believe every “legitimate” wolf sanctuary owner dreams of having a thousand acres for the rescued wolves to live out the remainder of their lives as God originally intended; no one would love that more than we would. But we have to work with the property and resources God has trusted us with thus far, and do our best with that.

Our focus is to give the wolves we rescue a nice home where they can “comfortably and happily” live out the remainder of their lives. Considering the living conditions the majority of these animals endured before they arrived here, we believe that we’re accomplishing that at a high level. We are extremely hard on ourselves about providing the best possible environment for the rescued wolves here and they are definitely receiving our best efforts, with the resources we have that is.

With the enclosure sizes ranging from 5,000 square ft. (the smallest for the older ones) to nearly 30,000 square ft. for the younger healthier ones, and an average of only 2.7 wolves/wolfdogs per enclosure, these awesome animals are not just “existing” in overcrowded kennels. Each of the five dozen here is able to enjoy running at full speed any time they choose, for as long as they choose, so they get plenty of daily exercise in their new permanent homes.

Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary is not a wolf education facility. While we acknowledge that education is important, we also have to stay focused on what God has placed in our hearts to do here and leave the educational efforts to those called to educate. If in the future however, God directs us to include education as a part of our mission here, then we’ll be all over it and we’ll educate with the same enthusiasm and innovation involved in our current mission—that’s a promise!

Finally, Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary is not directly involved in fighting the “senseless” slaughter of wolves by hunters and wildlife authorities out west. Our specific role here at the sanctuary is rescuing “captive born and bred” wolves and wolfdogs, providing the best life possible for them in captivity, and helping people understand who God is and how He feels about them in the process.