The wolf is at the wolf sanctuary's door

Sherrie LaBat, standing by an electric fence that separates her from three wolves, turns to see if the truck she hears is coming her way. She hopes the tires splashing through mud are heading to the remote Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary she owns with her husband, Charlie LaBat. Someone called earlier in the day and pledged to deliver a donation of dog food. The LaBats, who recently put their mom-and-pop sanctuary up for sale, are down to eight weeks' worth of food for their 20 wolves and wolf-dog hybrids. As the economy crumbles, it's no surprise animal havens and rescue groups are suffering. The first to buckle are small operations run by animal lovers with big hearts and limited funds. In the case of the LaBats, whose southern Oregon sanctuary is 30 miles south of Grants Pass, the situation is trickier because the creatures at stake are among the most notorious in the West. There are an estimated 40 wolf sanctuaries in the United States, according to Wolf Haven International in Tenino, Wash., one of the oldest. The number is sketchy because no one regulates sanctuaries. Only the U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses them when they open for public viewing, and they can come in all sizes and shapes and with a variety of missions...The Oregonian