Dog killed by wolves in Metlakatla was defending its family, owner says
https://alaskapublic.org/2022/08/19/dog-killed-by-wolves-in-metlakatla-was-defending-its-family-owner-says/By Raegan Miller, KRBD - Ketchikan -August 19, 2022
Rosco, a ridgeback-mastiff mix, died defending Brittany Hayward and her daughter at Moss Point. Rosco had three legs and was seven or eight years old. (Brittany Hayward)
Something didn’t feel right when Brittany Hayward and her teenage daughter arrived at Moss Point, near the Southeast Alaska community of Metlakatla.
“I had asked my daughter, you know, ‘Where are the birds? Why are there no birds, there’s no noise,’” Hayward said. And, you know, she kind of joked and was like ‘The Kushtaka’s watching us’ and, and I was like, ‘No, you know, something doesn’t, something doesn’t feel right, I feel like we’re being watched.’”
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This is a typical story of humans probably getting it wrong. Wolves rarely attack humans, don't know how many times this needs to be said, the incidents where a human was attacked by a wolf was by a wolf who had been fed by humans previously causing the wolf to think that humans have food for them, same with bears.
You know who they were actually attacking in the first place?
The dog.
Here's what people fail to understand about wolves and their habitat: Wolves are territorial, another canid in their territory is a threat, doesn't matter if it is something like this mastiff mix or Fifi the toy poodle, they will attack them and their allies.
The humans made the error of invading a wolf pack's territory with an intruder which the wolves were not going to tolerate. If the dog was not there, they probably might have seen the wolves checking them out but also, would likely not had such an unpleasant encounter.
One of the main reasons Yellowstone NP does not allow dogs on trails and boardwalks or anywhere else in the park is this factor with the inhabitants. They will attack the tourists' dogs. They also spread diseases to the wildlife.
