Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary — Attraction in Eastern Navajo Agency

I was expecting something barely better than a zoo, as so many of the other rescue places I've visited proved to be; but Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary allow their rescues to remain wolves as much as reasonably possible in captivity. They minimize intrusion by tourists by only leading guided tours, which also allows the handlers/docents to provide the wolves a sign that all the new faces and activity are okay, a hint of normalcy. The animals have experienced a wide range of abuse from simply being kept captive (inappropriate, cruel) to torture and trauma. The pens are large enough to allow the wolves to really move around and choose whether or not to be on display or interact. The docents provide detailed stories about the animals, deeply personalizing them for the visitors, as well as field many questions.

Fortunately for me, I was not on any important schedule, and prospective visitors should carve out a much larger time block than they might expect necessary. Out of respect for the special needs of the various resident wolves, visitors are limited to docent tours and kept clustered. The staff only leads so many tours per day and may alter the starting time as necessary to accommodate groups that might be running late (within reason).

The rescue charges fees and accepts donations, of course; but when it comes down to it, the wolves' needs come first. The facility is for and about the wolves, not the visitors. I give WSWS 5 stars for the quality of the facility and adherence to its purpose/mission as well to my own experience. I felt the opportunity to visit these beautiful creatures that truly I should never otherwise encounter in life was a gift.

I have a certain affinity for dogs and a reverence for canines in general. Wolves are not dogs or vice versa, of course; in fact I felt distinctly different emotional aurae at WSWS. It's not a kennel or a zoo. Each wolf has a strong, intelligent presence, but little like a dog's. I left awed at the majesty of these creatures and deeply saddened by the variety of situations that brought them into captivity. Truly, these wolves and I should never have crossed paths.

It pains me to read other reviews from visitors that felt inconvenienced that their desires were not put before the needs of the wolves. The Sanctuary is the wolves' only remaining home and they invited none of the visitors; rather it's their caretakers that invite us. Say and behave as you will in the "servants' quarters" (visitors' center), but expect to behave respectfully and humbly when you are in the Sanctuary proper. If that's not your gig, please consider a donation or buy stuff at the gift shop rather than a tour, knowing you did some good contributing to a highly worthy cause of protecting wild animals and giving them respite—indeed, sanctuary.

And I hope dearly that next time I pass through the region I can camp overnight. It would...

Incredible! - Our trip was a gift to our daughter for her 12th birthday- she is a budding artist and loves to draw pictures of wolves. It had snowed the day before we arrived on 3/1- so once off the paved roads, the muddy drive really required a 4 wheel drive in some parts (we didn't have one). The staff was kind enough to drive us to the lodge which is up a quarter mile, unpaved hill.

The "Lodge" accommodations were very comfortable- wi-fi- full kitchen- TV- comfortable beds; we were all set as we brought a crock-pot and cooler to prepare meals. There really isn't a selection of places to go eat when the roads are so muddy and we couldn't travel off the sanctuary, so it was great that we had brought our own food with us to prepare and cook.

The staff on property were very committed to their work and efforts to educate visitors. They were patient and fielded all sorts of our questions. This is a working environment and provides extensive property to house the wolves and other animals. We had a feeding tour, a 2 mile walk/hike with wolf pups, and educational encounter and a tour of the grounds. And wait till you hear the wolves howl- what a treat!

The "lodge" is pet friendly and my mother's only negative comment is that it is hard to disguise the odor of pet urine in the carpet from previous pet visitors. Please keep in mind, that she has the nose of a hound. It also would have been nice to use the gas fireplace since we visited at a cold time of year ( early March), however, there was gas to the lodge which allowed for the furnace to operate. We were not without heat.

Should you decide to visit Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, spend the extra money and be involved in all the encounters as you possibly can. You will not be disappointed, and you'll leave with so much more knowledge and appreciation for these beautiful animals and the amazing people that care for them day in and day out.

We will be back for sure! Thanks to Crystal, Ramon, Maddie & Dave (our chauffeur) and all the others for making our stay, such a...

Like a zoo but worse. Caged dogs, many not even wolf's... Can't believe these artic animals like this heat. Not much shade and didn't see much for the "wolf's" to play with in there jail cells.

Edited after business owner's response to original review: I'm very certain this is the correct review, as I've been a resident of Candy Kitchen for many years. I've visited Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary at least a dozen times over 15 years, and my review reflects my observations as accurately as possible. There was a significant loss of quality when you let Leyton Cougar go. The improvements made during the COVID shutdowns did nothing for the animals' wellbeing, and not as much as you hoped for the aesthetics overall. (The burn piles and lack of volunteers to oversee a SAFE burn should be an indicator that the community isn't impressed.) My first few visits were so depressing. None of the pups there seem to move at all; there were a few I thought were dead... I tried touring with beef jerky and bacon bits in my pockets after that, to see if any of the animals would show ANY sign of life. No such luck. I've followed WSWS on social media for years. In the past 12 months, I've stopped. Your social media isn't an accurate depiction of your facilities at all. (I've heard from your volunteers that you pay for 5 star Google reviews. Very few in the community will enter the establishment. Shouldn't leave them so Salty, I guess.) The public deserves a realistic review before driving 60+ miles from the interstate to hear there's not any staff available to give a tour. That might help you're fundraising, trying a...