Interesting…… Are Pet Wolves Really Outlawed In Missouri?

I don't know about you guys, but when I was a kid, we had cats.  My Dad told me about a dog we had when I was little, but I don't remember. I always wanted a more exotic pet  Turtles?  Maybe a gecko? But honestly, I never thought, even in my wildest imagination, about owning a wolf.  Or even a wolf hybrid.  Turns out, though, that dream isn't so impossible for some people.

via GIPHY

A wolf-dog hybrid, or just hybrid for short, is what you get when a wolf and a domestic dog mate. Some people might use “wolf-dog hybrid” and “wolfdog” as if they mean the same thing, but there’s actually a key difference. Wolfdogs aren’t always hybrids; the term can also refer to regular dogs that have some wolf ancestry in their background.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service defines a wolf hybrid as any domestic dog that has a bit of wolf blood in it. Many states, including Missouri, follow this by labeling wolf hybrids based on their genetics instead of how they look.

In Missouri, the Department of Conservation considers a wolf hybrid to be any dog with even a little bit of Canis lupus DNA. It doesn’t take much to qualify as a wolfdog. Their definition is pretty broad, covering dogs mixed with wolves, coyotes, and even those with wolf ancestry.

While the state views these animals as wildlife and has some regulations around them, the federal government sees it differently, which can be confusing. You can own a wolfdog in Missouri—unlike in some places—but there are rules you need to follow. For example, you’ll need a permit and a proper enclosure to keep one legally.

**Enclosure Requirements:**
– The enclosure has to be at least nine gauge.
– It needs to meet a certain height.
– It should be at least 200 square feet.

I looked around for what the height requirements actually are, but I couldn't find out.  I guess it depends on your property?   The long and short of it is, yes, you can own a wolfdog in Missouri.  But whether you SHOULD, of course, that's different.

Wolfly yours,
Behka

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