Forget Rudolph and his reindeer, this Christmas is all about the wolfdogs!

Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary, just west of Cochrane, has launched its Canid Christmas Campaign to bring the holiday spirit to 43 wolfdogs this year.

“We're wanting our wolfdogs to wake up to Christmas and start off the new year on the right path,” says Kara Dowhaniuk, fundraising and events manager for the Sanctuary. “We are trying to raise $43,000, or $1,000 for each wolfdog.”

When discussing what goes on the top of a wolfdogs list to Santa, Dowhaniuk says food is usually number one. “They especially like jerky style treats, so something that they can really get that meaty feel for. “

“We also like to get them zoo-grade toys. Things like jolly balls are really great for enrichment for them. They love to pull those around and toss them around.”

“We're also looking for a couple of items that we can actually build enrichment structures. We've built these tiered structures that we're hoping to make more of and hopefully, the wolfdogs can wake up to those too.”

There are various ways to donate and attribute to Santa’s sleigh for the wolfdogs this year. A wishlist of the most wanted items is available and can be dropped off at the Sanctuary. Monetary donations are also accepted HERE.

The Canid Christmas Campaign runs until December 26, 2022.