There are wolfs and there are dogs – and then there are wolf-dogs, a genetic hybrid of the two animals.

Cinder is a wolf-dog, though he looks just like a wolf and was assumed to be one when animal control found him wandering the streets of Flagstaff, Arizona a few years back.

The skinny animal had been spotted playing with local dogs through their fences before he was nabbed. And after that, he wouldn’t let anyone near him.

The dog was humanely captured by Officer Jack Roberts and named “Jack” in his honor.

Jack was taken to a shelter run by the Coconino Humane Association and had a genetic test administered by the Arizona Fish and Game Department – if he was, indeed, a wolf, they would need to reintroduce him to the wild. But that’s when his true nature was revealed.

While most states don’t allow people to keep wolf-dogs, Arizona does. But who would take in such a creature before his time ran out?

Not only would he make an unsuitable pet but he managed to escape shortly after that.

“There’s speculation that the gates or doors weren’t closed properly, giving him the opportunity to find his way out,” Crystal Castellanos, assistant director of Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, told The Dodo. “These animals are highly intelligent. If given the slightest chance, they can find their way out of most situations that they deem scary.”

Sadly, it was reported that he had been in an accident when he wandered out into the road, but he was discovered just in time to have the proper medical procedures. Jack was also neutered at the time.

The wolf-dog’s situation was still precarious at best until caretakers discovered an animal rescue sanctuary that agreed to take him in

Once he had recovered, Jack was taken to Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico where wolves and wolf-dogs are cared for.

After a 4-hour journey to his new home, he was sequestered in an enclosure until the facility could figure out what other animals he might get along with. There, he was also renamed Cinder.

An older female named Riot was deemed a good candidate. She is also a wolf-dog and was surrendered by her owner when she grew bigger than expected.

It was a big moment when the two first met in 2015.

“We walked Riot to [Cinder’s] habitat and watched the body language from both,” Castellanos said. “All looked well and we immediately opened the gate for her to run into his habitat and it was great. Tails wagged in delight, he was interested in her, she in him and they had a great nose-to-nose greeting. I’d say they understood our intentions and agreed they were fit for each other.”

The pairing was a hit and the two are now inseparable, living out their days in their large enclosure and playfully “fence” fighting with their next-door neighbors.

While Cinder is still wary of people, that’s ok. He’s never going to be a house pet. He’s content to live out his days with his new best friend.

“We want our animals to be happy, and one of the best ways to ensure that can happen is by finding them compatible partners,” Castellanos explained to The Dodo. “We all need that special someone in our lives.”

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Source: The Dodo, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary