Farewell Watonie

We learn a great deal from the souls who call Speedwell their home. Each of the wolves and wolfdogs who lives here has a unique life, a unique story, and a unique personality and they teach us so much each and every day. There are some whose souls shine out as beacons of light and inspire us to be better, to face adversity with courage, and to walk through life with grace and with hope. Watonie was one of those souls. She was calm and dignified, and never let any challenges affect her life. She faced her fears with a quiet grace and lived her life with love in her heart, a spring in her step, and a twinkle in her eye. Our hearts were broken as we bid farewell to Watonie May 2024, but her memory will live on in our hearts and inspire us to keep moving forward with joy and grace despite any hardships we may face.

Watonie arrived at the sanctuary 13 years ago as a young pup with her siblings, Yellow Feather and Running Bear. Their fourth sibling Achilles would be rescued and join them a few months later. Yellow Feather would later leave their pack after bonding with another male rescue, Dakota, but Watonie, Running Bear and Achilles remained together throughout their lives. Watonie was close with her family from the very beginning. When they arrived they were very young and small and afraid as they got to know their new surroundings and they stayed close together to keep each other safe. They grew up strong and they maintained their love for each other throughout their lives, making their family one of the most closely bonded packs ever to have lived at the sanctuary.

Watonie was perhaps the most elusive of her pack and was quite shy of humans. She trusted just a few of her caretakers enough to come to the fence for a quick sniff, a quick pet, or a quick treat, after which she would prance around excitedly as if proud that she had done something very brave. Most of the time she was wary and kept a stoic appearance, standing tall and dignified in the distance, ever watchful. Yet when she relaxed, she showed her silly side, goofing around with her brothers, pawing and playing with a silly sideways grin. She loved her brothers deeply and they loved her in return.

Watonie was ever graceful and she faced challenges with great courage, patience, and dignity. In 2020, Watonie underwent a major emergency surgery to repair her ACL’s in both her rear legs and remove a mass from her ovaries. Her recovery was long, requiring several months in our quarantine area. Watonie was 9 years old at the time and had never spent a moment away from her siblings her whole life, yet she showed astounding patience as we carefully nursed her back to health. She endured hands-on physical therapy and was confined to quarantine for three months while she healed and she remained stoic throughout, never once showing aggression and accepting her treatments with endless grace. When she finally returned to her brothers she ran freely back to her forest home in a burst of relief and they immediately welcomed her back with joy. Just two years later, Watonie was diagnosed with cancer, yet her demeanor remained unphased. She would undergo two more surgeries in 2022 and 2023 to remove tumors, after which she continued to persevere. Despite her ailments and subsequent treatments, she always kept her head held high and never once let her troubles affect her daily life. Her steadfast spirit was truly an inspiration and we will greatly miss her enduring presence.

Though we knew the day would come, it did not make it any easier to say goodbye to Watonie when the time came. This Spring, Watonie’s cancer had returned and begun to spread. Due to her age and the overall spread of the disease, putting her through a lengthy operation and recovery process to attempt to remove the tumors was not an option this time. Despite the presence of these tumors, Watonie’s spirits remained high. We kept a close eye on her and she remained relatively unphased by her illness for her final few weeks which she spent peacefully with her brother, Running Bear. However her time was limited and in early May it became clear that the size and growth of the tumors had begun to cause her great pain and discomfort. On Monday May 13, 2024, we made the difficult decision to say goodbye to our dearest Watonie.

Watonie lived a wonderful long life here at the sanctuary with her family. She was shy and elusive, and also elegant and poised. She deeply loved her brothers and they loved her in return. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her, especially her brother Running Bear.

Farewell Watonie, we will greatly miss your dignified grace and your bright, joyous spirit. We will hold the memory of your beautiful soul forever in our hearts.

IN LOVING MEMORY WATONIE OF SPEEDWELL
Born April 2011, Rescued June 14, 2011, Died May 13, 2024