Texx

Born on April 1, 2005 in Texas
Arrived at Mission: Wolf on January 9, 2009

Passed away on August 16th, 2018

Sex: Male
Lived with McKinley

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Texx’s Story

We believe Texx was born in January 2005 and sold to a family in Texas as a pet. We do not know much about his past, but it is likely that he was privately owned and either set loose or escaped from his home. He was discovered running around a suburban area in Texas. He learned to go to various backyards at night and scavenge dog food and garbage to survive. When he was young, not very many people paid attention, but as his presence and size became more noticeable, so did the neighbors’ concerns for their safety.

Texx was at high risk to be hurt or killed, until a concerned neighbor that understood wolf-dog behavior stepped up to help. She and her husband managed to set up a clever scheme to catch Texx before the neighbors shot him. She discovered that while she walked her dog, Texx would sneak into her backyard while they were away and eat the dog food. The fence was short, so they built a wire mesh top over the feeding area. Armed with a 100ft rope, she set up a way to close the gate from a distance where Texx could not see her. When her dog left for a walk, sure enough – here came Texx. Only this time when he started to eat, the gate suddenly swung shut and he was trapped. His instinct to jump out was foiled by the mesh top.

They were able to get Texx into a large airline carrier and loaded him up in the back of their little truck. When he arrived at Mission: Wolf, Texx was very timid and not sure what to think of life in the mountains. But within weeks of his arrival, he soon warmed up to his new home and we were able to introduce him to a female wolf, McKinley. She is not as timid as Texx, and offered him a lot of comfort and companionship. Texx settled into life at the refuge and spent a lot of time exploring his enclosure and sunning himself on top of his shade structure. McKinley was often the dominant partner and kept him in line at dinnertime.

As he grew older, Texx has begun to turn a beautiful white color. Fondly referred to by many of the staff as a cartoonish ghost, he happily lived in the lower half of the refuge, undisturbed by humans.

In August of 2018, Mission: Wolf staff noticed a growth on Texx’s backside. He was taken into Colorado Springs to get examined, and while the growth was benign, an x-ray revealed aggressive and wide-spread bone cancer that was just a few days away from dislocating his hips. Texx was helped to pass and the staff was grateful to be able to prevent him from the excruciating pain of the progressive cancer. He will be dearly missed by all who had the chance to enjoy his tender breakfast trot and floating howl.