SPOKANE, Wash. — On Sunday, a viewer sent KREM footage of what could have been a wolf running loose in a neighborhood near Joe Albi Stadium.
Spokane police said they received several calls about the canine on Sunday, which was lasted spotted near Rosauers in Nine Mile Falls. At last check, it has not been found.
That prompted us to ask wolf specialists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife if they could identify the animal.
WDFW spokesperson Staci Lehman said she spoke with several wolf specialists in the agency who believe the animal is a "very healthy coyote" or wolf-dog hybrid based on its height and foot size.
Lehman that the agency sometimes receives calls about wolf-dog hybrids that people keep as pets.
A similar situation happened in Spokane Valley in July of 2018. Many residents thought they saw wolves running through their neighborhood – but it turns out that they were dogs.
There are three ways to identify the animals as domesticated dogs:
- The way they hold their tails with a slight curl at the end. Wolves tails don’t curl.
- Their legs are too short. Wolves legs are longer.
- Their thick coats. Wolves have thinner coats in the summer time. The coats on these dogs show signs of well-fed and well cared for domesticated dogs.
Wolves rarely trot through neighborhoods, as they are wary of people and do not typically venture into large metropolitan areas, according to wolf specialists.
Wolf observations, including sightings, photos of animals or tracks, and location can be reported online through the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s wolf reporting portal.
