Whats a wolfdog?
Eddie Negron, a wolfdog breeder in Brooksville, was offering “white timber wolf” puppies for $350 to $450. “Beautiful parents!” said a newspaper ad this week. The four puppies were 30 percent wolf and the rest German shepherd, Negron said. “They sold out,” he said. In Florida, unlike 13 other states, anyone can keep a wolfdog. If the animal is 75 percent or more wolf, owners need a wolfdog permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Owners also must live on 21/2 acres and erect a fence for the animal, among with other safety measures. “I won’t sell to a person who has an apartment and no backyard,” said Negron, 60. “I had this guy who was in a small mobile home. I said, “You’re out of your mind. I’m not going to sell you any dogs.’ ” The number of wolfdogs in Florida is unknown, though 179 wolfdog permits currently are issued to zoos, breeders and owners. Part of the problem is the lack of a scientific test to determine what percent of an animal is wolf, animal c
