{"id":11340,"date":"2026-01-11T14:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T14:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=11340"},"modified":"2026-01-11T14:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T14:15:13","slug":"mystery-of-wolf-type-dogs-solved-with-dna-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=11340","title":{"rendered":"Mystery of wolf-type dogs solved with DNA test"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"WolvesWolves of Wiltshire<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The three wolfdogs have been named Little Timmy, Boo and Brooke<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Three large dogs found roaming the streets of a Lancashire town the day before Halloween have been confirmed to be wolf-dogs after a rescue centre tested their DNA.<\/p>\n

The dogs were found abandoned in Preston<\/a> on 30 October 2025, and their wolf-like features sent them viral, despite Preston City Council identifying them as a German Shepherd-type breed.<\/p>\n

Siblings Little Timmy, Boo and Brooke were taken in by a rescue centre and then transferred to specialists at Wolves of Wiltshire, who confirmed they were, in fact, of the wolf-dog variety. <\/p>\n

Oli Barrington, a trustee at the exotic animal charity, said the dogs, who were found emaciated, were now “comfortable, safe and recovering from the ordeal”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"LancashireLancashire Police<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The animals appeared emaciated when they were collected by Lancashire Police<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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The council said they had been told by their kennelling contractor that the dogs were “a German Shepherd type”.<\/p>\n

A council spokesman said the dogs were only in the authority’s care for a “short statutory period”.<\/p>\n

“We do not carry out DNA testing, so we relied on the description provided at that time,” he added.<\/p>\n

Millions of people have watched videos about the dogs and their subsequent DNA test results on Tik Tok and other social media platforms.<\/p>\n

Mr Barrington said at Wolves of Wiltshire, the focus was “on the animals themselves, their welfare, and their happiness”.<\/p>\n

He said the rescue centre was not planning to rehabilitate the animals or make them into pets.<\/p>\n

“They will be whatever they want to be here,” he said. “If they want a life with minimal human contact, then that’s what they’ll have.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What is a wolf-dog? <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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A wolf-dog is a domestic breed of dog that has been bred with a wolf.<\/p>\n

In the UK, they are legal to own as long as they are three generations away from the original parent wolf, according to the PDSA.<\/a><\/p>\n

First and second generation wolf-dogs that have one direct wolf parent require a license to own and are classed as exotic animals. <\/p>\n

Mr Barrington said Wolves of Wiltshire have specific licenses that allow them to care for the animals, because they were an “unknown quantity, and they could have potentially required a dangerous animals license”.<\/p>\n

Little Timmy, Brooke and Boo’s DNA tests, provided by company Embark, came back as 49.1% Gray Wolf and 50.9% Czechoslovakian Vlcak.<\/p>\n

The tests were ordered by 8 Below Husky Rescue, a rescue centre that first took the animals from the council. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The wolf-dogs are learning from an adult female of the same breed at the rescue centre<\/figcaption><\/p>\n
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Mr Barrington said he thought the law was “a bit of a problem”, because it was about the number of generations away from a wolf, rather than the percentage of wolf DNA.<\/p>\n

He said the problem was irresponsible breeders were breeding high DNA content animals that were “perfectly legal on paper”.<\/p>\n

“There’s very few people out there who could actually provide a decent home for a high content wolf-dog,” he said. “You really have to give up your life.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An RSPCA spokesperson said: “They are large, much more challenging animals who need highly experienced handlers who have not only worked with dogs, but also wolves, and fully understand their needs.”<\/p>\n

They also said they did not make suitable family pets and people should be aware of the potential legal restrictions on keeping wolf-dog hybrids.<\/p>\n

However, many in the wolf-dog community are confident they can provide these animals with the care they need.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"HandoutHandout<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Laura Mackenzie-Hawkins owns four wolf-dogs and one rescued Belgian Malinois<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Laura Mackenzie-Hawkins, from Greater Manchester, has four wolf-dogs and one Belgian Malinois, who she said she had rescued from a young couple living in a second-floor flat.<\/p>\n

She took early retirement and said she was with the dogs “24\/7” in her home, which has a large garden and 6ft-high (1.82m) fences added as adaptations for the animals.<\/p>\n

“Just like with any dog, your responsibility is to keep that dog safe,” she said.<\/p>\n

“With the look of the wolf – as we’ve seen with the Preston three – if you get one wandering, you get mass hysteria.”<\/p>\n

She said the wolf-dog community spent a lot of time educating people on the needs of the animals to try to ensure they ended up in safe homes.<\/p>\n

“They’re not easy,” she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

#Mystery #wolftype #dogs #solved #DNA #test<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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