Blind wolf-dog undergoes surgery for life-threatening condition at CSU

Two months after breaking free from a chain that bound her to a tree in West Virginia for three years, a blind wolf-dog is fighting for her life in Fort Collins.

Skye was flown in a private airplane from West Virginia to Fort Collins on Tuesday, where after an evaluation she was to find her forever home at W.O.L.F Sanctuary in the foothills west of Fort Collins.

Instead, Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital staff found Skye had a hernia in her diaphragm, which allowed her intestines to enter her chest cavity. Left untreated, the condition is fatal. So instead of resting at her new home, Skye began undergoing the 90-minute surgery early Wednesday afternoon to correct the condition.

At 4:15 p.m., W.O.L.F. staff said Skye came out of surgery,  is under critical care at CSU and that the next 24 hours are critical in her recovery.

The surgery is the latest in Skye’s death-defying life.

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Chained to a tree in West Virginia and rarely fed for three years, Skye broke free in June. She was found trying to enter an elderly woman’s house, where another neighbor took in the thin and suffering wolf-dog until Mercer County Animal Shelter staff in southern West Virginia picked her up. It was the second time in her seven years Skye had been found wandering alone.

"This is the type of story that our hearts really bleed for," said Shelley Coldiron, executive director of W.O.L.F., Tuesday at the airport. "We are drawn to bringing in these dispirited souls."

Skye’s story touched Michelle Cole, former director of the Mercer County Animal Shelter and current 3rd Congressional District Leader of The Humane Society of the United States of West Virginia. Cole searched for a permanent rescue home for Skye and chose W.O.L.F.

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Cole and husband, Tom, who is a pilot, flew Skye nearly eight hours in a Piper Mirage to the Northern Colorado Regional Airport, from which she was taken to the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital to be evaluated. That’s when staff found the hernia, confirmed her blindness and discovered neurological issues caused by previous abuse.

“As soon as I met Skye, I knew I had to get her in the right hands,’’ Cole said after arriving at the Loveland airport. “I was afraid they would just place her with a rescue that would adopt her out to just anyone and I knew she needed to be with someone knowledgeable about wolf-dogs. She has suffered a great deal of injustice in her life.’’

Should Skye survive the surgery, she will become the 30th wolf-dog at W.O.L.F., an accredited and licensed wolf dog rescue facility.

“Every life matters,’’ Coldiron said Tuesday. “A small gesture means a lot to them. Where some people ask why do this, it’s the world to Skye and it’s the world to us.’’

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How to help Skye

Skye’s medical bills are expected to exceed $10,000, according to W.O.L.F. , which is establishing a fundraising site to help pay for the surgery and other tests. Visit www.wolfsanctuary.co/get-involved or W.O.L.F. Sanctuary’s Facebook page to learn more.