Wolf dogs that once roamed Warwick have built a bond between RI and Ohio sanctuary

When she finally agreed to take in a pair of wolf dogs that had been running wild in Warwick a year ago, Susan Vogt didn't realize she was starting a relationship with a lot of Rhode Island residents that would end up helping support and expand her Ohio wolf-dog sanctuary.

Since the canine sisters, initially thought to be "black coyotes," arrived at the Red Riding Hood Rescue Project last May, Rhode Islanders have donated thousands of dollars, food and toys, which have supported not just the two "401 Girls" but all 22 of the sanctuary's wolf dogs, said Vogt, co-founder and president.

"What happened was the biggest blessing," said Vogt, whose three-year-old nonprofit rescue relies entirely on donations. "Rhode Islanders have been tremendously supportive."

More: 'Fresh start:' Warwick wolf dogs start their new life in Ohio in the '401 Run'

Here are some examples of the connection between Rhode Island and the Ohio rescue often called just "The Red":

• A Coventry woman and her boyfriend drove 15 hours from Rhode Island to Middletown, Ohio, to deliver the wolf dogs to their new home.

• A Warwick woman has become one of the rescue's volunteers, flying to Ohio to help out.

• A Providence woman has provided thousands of dollars in matching funds for several projects to expand and improve the rescue. Vogt calls her "our East Coast Advocate," because she also hands out the rescue's business cards and spreads the word about its mission.

• The sanctuary keeps an active Facebook page with frequent updates on the wolf dogs. "Our digital analysis still shows Rhode Island is our biggest audience," Vogt said.

Just last week, after Vogt mentioned on Facebook that the sanctuary was running low on meat, a Rhode Island woman contacted her to say she would send deer and bear meat recently harvested by family members.

More: DNA test confirms Warwick dogs mistaken for coyotes are part wolf. Here's how much.

Last spring the 'black coyotes' made big news in Rhode Island

This time last spring, the two wolf dog pups, then called Libby and Bella, caused a stir running free around Warwick. They were eventually captured and ended up in the custody of the Warwick Animal Shelter but couldn't stay in Rhode Island because it's illegal to keep wolf dogs here.

When Ann Corvin, director of the Warwick Animal Shelter, called to ask if The Red could take the wolf dogs, Vogt said no; her sanctuary was full. Corvin didn't give up, and Vogt eventually gave in.

The dogs, renamed Wiley and Willow, have been at the sanctuary for almost a year and have nearly doubled in size. Wiley is about 95 pounds; Willow, a little shorter in length and height, weighs about 85 or 90 pounds. At about 1½ years old, they're yearlings and still growing.

"They are doing really well," Vogt said. "They have settled in. They know the routine."

Wiley is a "rascal" and a quick learner, Vogt said, while Willow prefers to "stay in the shadows." Delivery trucks often pull up to The Red with gifts for the wolf dogs, many from Rhode Islanders. Willow loves carrying stuffed animals in her mouth. "When people send her stuffies," Vogt said, "it's like her emotional support animal."

A lot of people have asked about adopting Wiley and Willow, but they're not ready for that. "They have this edge to them," Vogt said. "They were treated poorly. They were running loose."

With the sanctuary's wolf dogs, one of the milestones comes when the animals allow a handler to place a slip leash over their heads so they can go out for walks. That kind of trust also makes it easier for veterinarians to work with the animals. Willow and Wiley haven't gotten there yet.

"It's work, and it's a very slow process," Vogt said.

'This is a good place for them'

Danielle Verrier, of Coventry, is an animal lover, but her boyfriend, Alex Clarke, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, is the one who had experience working with wolf dogs. When Clarke asked Verrier last year whether she would drive 830 miles with him to deliver the animals, Verrier "didn't think twice about driving 15 hours. I said, 'No problem. We'll make it work,'" Verrier recalled recently.

With the air-conditioning blasting to keep the animals comfortable, the couple drove straight through. "When you've got a couple of wolf dogs with you, you can't really stop at a hotel," Verrier said.

Arriving at The Red, Verrier immediately got a good vibe. Having worked with other rescue organizations, Verrier believes she can sense when the humans are in it for the animals. She remembered thinking, "Oh, yeah. This is a good place for them. Everyone cares so much for these animals."

After staying a couple of days in May, Clarke and Verrier returned in July for a visit. Verrier said, "They're my Ohio friends now."

Helping out a long way from Rhode Island

Caring for 22 wolf dogs requires a lot of hard work, and the Red Riding Hood Rescue Project relies on many volunteers. Alicia Bigos is a little different from the sanctuary's other volunteers, because she lives in Warwick and flies to Ohio to help out.

Bigos has gone twice, helping with tasks such as feeding, cleaning up after the animals and providing enrichment. She plans another visit at the end of this month. The rescue doesn't accept just anyone, according to Vogt, but requires its volunteers to pass a training program.

Bigos has always been "fascinated" by wolf dogs and "absolutely fell in love" with them on her first visit, she said. "Susan and her husband [Colin] are such welcoming people. I instantly felt at home, like I belonged there."

"We all love her," Vogt said. "We want her to move here."

More: Mistaken for coyotes in Warwick, turns out Bella and Libby were puppies - the domestic kind

'She has built this place'

Vogt hopes to soon meet a woman who is perhaps the sanctuary's greatest Rhode Island supporter, Alicia Mancini, of Providence.

"I have yet to meet her, but I adore her," Vogt said.

Mancini and her husband, Rob, have provided thousands of dollars in matching funds for several projects. They've helped expand Willow and Wiley's pen, which, in turn, enabled an expansion of the entire facility, allowing the rescue to build more pens and take in more animals.

They've donated money to extend water lines from Vogt's house to the wolf-dog pens so volunteers don't have to lug water buckets a quarter mile, and they've also donated, so the rescue could put down thousands of yards of gravel to keep the animals and volunteers out of the mud.

"She has built this place, I told her," Vogt said. "She's done a tremendous amount of good."

Mancini and her husband have provided their financial support anonymously. To show their gratitude, The Red named its expanded section after their pet cat, Kurtz.

Vogt calls Mancini The Red's "East Coast Advocate." She sent her business cards, which Mancini hands out to friends and family. Mancini sometimes wears a Red Riding Hood Rescue shirt and finds that people will often ask her about it. She often tells them about the rescue and the mission and hands them a card.

Helping the wolf dogs at The Red "feels good," Mancini said.

"It's worth it," she said. "It's a wonderful thing."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ohio's Red Riding Hood Rescue Project's wolf dogs forge bond with RI