Ontario family fights to save dog 'Onyx' from euthanasia because of wolf ancestry

CALGARY — A northern Ontario family has hired a lawyer to fight for its six-year-old dog after his owner says provincial officials gave them 30 days before he would be sent away or euthanized over his wolf ancestry.Heaven Furoy, who lives in Greater Sudbury, is raising money for the legal battle to keep Onyx, a wolf-dog hybrid she says has spent his life as a household pet.“Today we received a call from the MNR stating that they are giving us 30 days with Onyx before he is either sent away or euthanized,” Furoy wrote in an online update.“WE HAVE A LAWYER!”Furoy appealed for continued donations to cover legal expenses and asked supporters to speak out on his behalf.The family faces a November 20 deadline. Furoy said the Ministry of Natural Resources presented her with two options: euthanasia or surrendering Onyx to a wolf sanctuary..Furoy and her former partner purchased Onyx as a puppy in 2020, she told CTV she contacted a sanctuary, only to learn it was full and that Onyx’s upbringing as a household pet could make him unsuitable for life among wolves.Furoy has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal expenses as she challenges the prospect of losing him.“Onyx has brought immense joy and love into our household,” she wrote in the appeal.The campaign asks authorities to consider his upbringing and the care provided by his family, arguing he should be allowed to remain at home.The family is asking the ministry to reconsider and allow him to remain at home while supporters help fund their legal challenge..In a post Sunday, Furoy said ministry officials informed her on October 20 that Onyx contained wolf DNA and that she had one month left with him. Furoy also described the officials as professional and said they had tried to work with her family, while maintaining that removing Onyx would cause him distress.The case has since drawn support from animal advocates. Humane Initiative has called on Ontario to consider an animal’s behaviour, alongside its genetic ancestry when determining whether it can remain with its owners.

Ontario family fights to save dog 'Onyx' from euthanasia because of wolf ancestry

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