Shelter Dog Wouldn't Stop Growing, So the Vet Performed a DNA Test

Where It All Began

But to really get this story, we need to know where it all started. Sadly, Yuki the dog began his existence in a shelter. He waited day after day for a family to come and get him for good when he was a puppy. That day finally came in 2008, when his first owner formally chose him and took him home. Sadly, the first several weeks they spent together were hard.

Yuki's owner understood he had taken in a big dog, but he didn't anticipate Yuki to be so rough and loud. He wouldn't follow orders and was very sensitive to others. But that wasn't all.

Getting Bigger and Bigger

Yuki the dog's owner realized it wouldn't be simple to bring a shelter dog home with him, especially when that dog was so at home. But he didn't think it would be this hard. Yuki was getting the better of him in terms of his mood, and the puppy was getting bigger and bigger every day. And what he had first assumed was a husky or a German shepherd was starting to seem a little different.

Of course, Yuki's owner didn't think the shelter dog would be as small as he was when he initially got him. But he was growing at an alarming rate, and it was starting to terrify him.

A Tough Decision

When Yuki was just eight months old, the "puppy" was already bigger than his owner had ever thought he would be. And he was still having trouble with training. This meant that Yuki was tugging him along on walks, shoving him down when he got too eager, and beating him up in every way. His owner was at the end of his rope. He wanted to do something decent by selecting adoption over a breeder, but he didn't know what to do.

Because of this, his owner realized he would have to choose between two hard options. He could keep Yuki and risk getting hurt, or he could give him up to someone who could take better care of him.

Dropping Him off

In the end, Yuki's new owner thought it was best for both of them to give him up to a shelter that could offer him the home he needed. He needed people who had owned dogs like him before and could handle a dog that was so big and loud. But when he left Yuki at the shelter, the staff there were just as surprised by the dog in front of them.

They had never seen a dog like Yuki before. He was bigger and stronger than any dog they had ever seen. They quickly realized that they were in over their heads, too.

Calling for Reinforcements

The shelter finally decided to ask for further help. They had heard of another neighboring shelter that worked with bigger animals, and they knew that this one had worked with gigantic dogs that needed a little more training and care than other dogs. They had even heard that the owners had taken care of and worked with other wild animals, like bobcats and cougars. They knew they were the right individuals to call.

The animal sanctuary that took Yuki in called Kent and Nancy Smith, the owners, not long after. And of course, they were more than happy to help when they heard his story.

The Shy Wolf Sanctuary

But who are Nancy and Kent? These Floridians have spent their whole lives assisting animals that need extra attention. And they have taken care of more than 1,200 animals at their refuge, the Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples. But they have made sure that their refuge is more than simply a home for the animals to stay and live. They want their shelter to be a place where people can learn.

They think that people need to learn more about wild animals in order to figure out how we can all get along. So, every day they teach guests about their creatures.