Aria was a wonderful tour guide, sharing a wealth of information about wolf dogs in general, and the specifics of each wolf dog on the property. We were able to safely observe and even interact with some of the wolf dogs. Would highly recommend booking a tour to learn more about the efforts Wolf Paws is making to protect these beautiful animals.
Our tour of Wolf Paws facility was a one-of-a-kind experience that I will never forget. The majestic animals were captivating, and we were able to interact with them and observe them up-close and personal! The fascinating information we heard only deepened our understanding of the wonderful work being carried out here, and we were proud and happy to make a donation and purchase a beautiful calendar and T-shirt as keepsakes of the amazing day. Thank you so much to the director and staff of Wolf Paws!
My husband and I went to Wolf Paws on our honeymoon. Helen was so wonderful while guiding us through the sanctuary. She took her time and told us lots of stories about each of the wolves living there. We were able to feed and interact with with several of them. Wolf Paws is a WONDERFUL place and we will definitely go back. ❤️❤️
We visited this morning and what a WONDERFUL experience! I'm glad we found out about them and glad we are locals! We will for sure be back! My daughter (16) sponsored KoKo and was so happy to meet her today and more thrilled to be able to pet her! Helen was an amazing tour guide very knowledgeable. We met Jennifer at the end, who was also very sweet and knowledgeable. Thank you all for what you do!
My husband and I visited today and had a great time! Our tour guide, Aria, was wonderful! She was very informative and made our experience very memorable! We will be back! Thank you for all you do for these beautiful babies!
My fiancé and I had a guided tour by Aria. Aria was an amazing tour guide with detailed background of each wolf and their character. The wolf interactions were tailored to each wolf personality. This allowed us to have the best possible with each wolf while feeling safe and comfortable. We had a wonderful and exciting experience. We highly recommend! We hope to return again soon.
Me, my husband, and our 21 year old daughter and 12 year old son went here. It was wonderful. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and funny. The wolf dogs were beautiful even though they were soaked from the rain. (They like the rain and we didn't know that before our tour!) I'm so glad we went and we will be back for sure. It's beyond awesome knowing a place like this exist that gives wolf dog a home that shouldn't be in someone's house. I'm excited to send them the pictures I took.
This place was amazing. My wife and I had a wonderful time interacting with the Wolf dogs. Our tour guide was very friendly, and very knowledgeable about the Wolf dogs. We will absolutely come back.
Our tour was wonderful, very kind and knowledgeable! Everything was well kept, you can tell the animals are loved and well cared for!
We are local and I have wanted to go for a few years now. We had a tour this morning, Aria took great care of us. She was very informative and you can tell she truly cares about the animals. The property is in pa beautiful serene location and the wolf dogs are so well taken care of. They are happy and home. We got to interact with 3 of them and it was just amazing. You can visibly see the care that goes into that place and I will be visiting again with other guests.
My fiance and I visited and had the most amazing experience. They were amazing at educating us on the backgrounds and mannerisms of their wolf dog residents. We got to pet Miss KoKo which is an experience I will never forget. I 1000% recommend visiting and learning about these beautiful creatures.
AMAZING EXPERIENCE!! We were visiting the area for Spring Break & scheduled a tour & I am so glad we did!! This Non-profit is worthy of so much. The knowledge, the care of the animals & the drive to make things better is impecible!
Our family found information for Wolf Paw on a Facebook group and I’m SO glad we did. The woman giving us the tour was very knowledgeable and encouraged questions and shared unique stories about each wolf dog. Even though I woke everyone up at 7 am on vacation to do the tour, everyone said they would do it again! The work they are doing here is amazing and SO important. Keep it up!
Wife and I went and toured the grounds and we were impressed. The staff there was wonderful and very knowledgeable. I have always been fascinated with wolves growing up and never had much of an opportunity to take a tour to see multiple wolf-dogs. You can really tell the emotions of the staff there when they were detailing the events leading to them having possession of one of the wolf-dogs. This is a great organization that focuses on saving wolf-dogs from being euthanized and caring for them as they should. I highly recommend this organization and am glad to be sponsoring one of the wolf-dogs they have in their care.
Words cannot describe the feeling of seeing these magnificent animals. Staff is very knowledgeable about each Wolf dog. We will definitely be back. It was amazing to get close to the Wolf dog experience. The video before entering was very helpful in how your mannerisms effect the wolves. I learned something today. We used a disposable camera today. So once we get the pictures back, I will update review. I found this location by looking up wolf sanctuaries. It definitely is a hidden gem. I hope to get others to donate to help keep this sanctuary running smoothly and continue care for these beautiful wolves. Thank you again for an amazing tour. Tammy loved it. She hasn't stopped talking about it yet.
We absolutely loved our visit to Wolf Paws! Aria was so nice and informative and gave us a great tour. We will absolutely be back! Thank you for all the work you do for these precious wolf dogs.
Recently stayed in Sevierville TN for our honeymoon, visiting Wolf Paws was our last outing before heading home to PA and it was hands down our favourite part of the whole trip. Our guide shared a lot of knowledge about wolf-dogs in general as well as stories and information on each individual wolf-dog. Zeus was such a cutey rubbing up against the fence while you gave him treats. Alo and Moonbeam were 7/10 catching treats through the fence but 11+/10 on adorable fuzzy babies. We definitely got a better feel on how fearful they can be by nature when feeding Kimi and Spirit but still such an amazing experience just to hang out in their space for a bit. And Koko gave us all the cuddles, and tried giving her paw for treats. Would absolutely recommend to any animal lovers!!
Such an amazing and unique experience! Our guide was very knowledgable and helped us better understand the wolf-dogs, their habits, and each of their individual personalities. Will definitely be recommending to anyone in the area and coming back next again some time.
I absolutely loved it, Coco was the sweetest baby girl and I will never forget how lovely it was to pet her. I loved to hear Alo's little barks. Watching Zeus's body wiggle against the fence was a sight I will never forget while his whole body wiggled with joy. Seeing how small Kimi was heart melting. I highly recommend coming here if you wanna have a heartwarming moment that you will never forget.
Absolutely great visit. The staff truly worked hard to give us the best experience possible. We felt very safe during our interactions with the animals, chickens included.
I am so happy we found a brochure for Wolf PAWS in only 1 of the probably hundred places we went this week. My wife and I traveled down to Gatlinburg from New Jersey and to be honest, our trip to Wolf PAWS was the highlight of the week. Aria, the animal care technician, gave an amazing in depth walk through and details on each of the Wolf dogs and their personalities. She answered all of our questions and both her and the animals gave us a once in a Lifetime experience. I would 10/10 recommend going here, just be sure to check availability on their website (also read expectations, as this is not an amusement park or just a sideshow attraction). We were lucky enough to find 1 open spot about a week in advance, but I would book sooner just to be safe.
We had an amazing morning visiting the Wolf Paws Sanctuary. Aria was very knowledgeable about all the Wolf-dogs and created an amazing experience for my daughter and I. Definitely plan on returning!
My name is Dick Cassle. I was given a sponsorship to a beautiful wolf-dog named Coco as a Christmas gift in 2022. My daughter was traveling to Tennessee on business so I took the opportunity to travel with her. On the morning of our return to Michigan we arrived for our appointment at Wolf Paws in Dandridge, Tennessee. What a great experience! When we pulled into the facility we could see how well it was kept up. Our tour of Wolf Dogs was exceptional - from the safety video (which alerted me to some things I would not have thought of) to the interaction with our Coco (which was carefully orchestrated starting with ‘loving through the fence’ to petting and feeding while kneeling on the ground inside the pen). If you love dogs, if you have an interest in wolfs, if you are interested in supporting endangered animals - visit Wolf Paws and consider sponsoring one of their beautiful animals! (The last picture is of my 3 year old Great Granddaughter wearing the wolf-dog hat she received for her birthday) www.wolfpaws.org
I initially heard about Wolf Paws last year, and when Koko was rescued, I gifted my dad a sponsorship for her! We finally got to visit on Saturday, and it was an impressive experience. Aria spent almost 2 hours with us answering every silly, weird, and even crazy question I asked. She introduced us to the wolf dogs, giving each of their individual back stories. I cannot thank you all enough for what you do for these beautiful creatures. The place is immaculate, and the wolf dogs can live their lives as close to the wild as they can with huge enclosures! The tour is free, but after the tour there is no doubt, we will continue our sponsorships for the wolf dogs! Great merchandise as well to remember the visit! See you again soon!
Kris Phillips - Lake Orion, Michigan
We had an awesome experience at Wolf Paws and will plan to go back to check on our new furry friends any time we are in the area. Our guide, Aria, was very informative and is obviously doing what she loves. Her love for the Wolf Dogs is very apparent which made the tour even better. We left knowing a lot more than we knew before going and have better understanding of these beautiful creatures. Thanks to mom for telling us about this great sanctuary! Mom is a real advocate for Wolf Paws and enjoys visiting every time she can. We all had a good experience with each of of the animals and Koko was such a gracious host! Thanks Wolf Paws, Inc! Keep up the good work!
The tour at this location is extremely informational and enjoyable! My boyfriend, and I learned the history of every wolf dog there, about their personalities, and how they have taken to being at the rescue. I loved that every animal there seemed happy and their enclosures were big and multifaceted. They had dens and shady spots and ponds in each enclosure. They also had a mate. Not only did we learn about the common problems with wolf dog ownership, but also what is involved in rescuing these wolf dogs, and sustaining them for the rest of their lives. It warmed my heart to see my Tour Guide, Aria, bubble with endless information about the rescue animals she loves.
I contacted this wonderful sanctuary in December hoping to be able to arrange a tour even though their website said that they didn't have any tours on the dates that I would be in the area. Surprisingly, my email was promptly responded to by the director, Jennifer Ackley, who was incredibly accomodating, even arranging for my tour on New Year's Eve. The tour was amazing and I wish I could remember the name of the young lady who conducted it. She was passionate about her work and the animals and was clearly very knowledgeable. The wolf dogs are so well cared for and loved that it left me with a warm feeling when I left. I encourage anyone who loves wolves and wolf dogs to support this organization. Well done, Wolf Paws!!
Wolf PAWS provides an unparalleled quality of life for its resident wolf-dogs. They receive enrichment and a nutritious diet. All of the animals look healthy and happy.
We visited Wolf Paws in May 2022 and it was an incredible experience! The wolf dogs are so well taken care of and the surroundings are breathtaking! The staff was attentive and made sure we had the best day. They were very knowledgeable about these beautiful animals and answered all our questions. We got to get up close to the wolf dogs to take beautiful pictures.
No words begin to describe how amazing these animals truly are or how much recognition "hybrids" deserve. Being around the pack on a day to day basis has opened our eyes to the dire need for wolf-dog sanctuaries such as Wolf PAWS. Jennifer has a heart of gold and deeply cares for the animals as well as the mission of the sanctuary. It's been an honor to be apart of the team, everyone here is incredibly passionate and dedicated to the cause of saving these beautiful often misunderstood animals. Don't take my word for it, come by yourselves and meet our wonderful pack through booking one of our private tours!
Absolutely loved it! Everyone was so kind and helpful and weren’t bothered that we were late. It was such an informative, interesting, and amazing experience!! Wish I could give it more stars, words cannot describe how nice it was.
My husband and I were lucky enough to have a private tour with Aria (sp?) She was incredibly knowledgeable about the animals and passionate about the work that the sanctuary does. The wolfdogs were happy and extremely well cared for and the property was so well cared for as well. Would return there again in a heartbeat and recommend as a must-do for all animal lovers.
If you love wolfs and love dogs, Wolf Paws should be on your list of awesome experiences to visit and maybe even help financially. Small donations add up and if your an Amazon Prime member you can designate Wolf Paws to receive a donation on all of your Prime purchases.
Jennifer and staff are very committed to the care and health of their WolfDog habitants. Book a tour on the web site and have an experience like no other.
http://www.wolfpaws.org/
This place is AMAZING! We booked a surprise visit here because our 10 year old son LOVES wolves and learning about them. He was so exited to get to see them up close, feed them, and hear their stories. Aria was an incredible guide and answered all of our questions. She knew everything about the animals and seemed to really enjoy sharing their backgrounds with us. Our son is very much into the care and safety of animals so he was very impressed with the facility and the amount of space each wolf-dog gets as its home. Our group enjoyed our time here and would definitely visit again in the future when we are in the area.
They are awesome, they love wolves and try to do the best for them. I think world deserves more organisations like this.
Love Wolf-Paws. They are a great group of people doing excellent work for animals that would otherwise be euthanized without them. We had the chance of a private tour on one of our trips to TN this year. It was the highlight of the trip for my daughter as she loves wolves. Seeing the wolves and talking to Jennifer has convinced her she wants to become a vet and would love to one day work here or at a sanctuary similar.
I’ve been a volunteer at this wonderful nonprofit organization for over two and a half years and a board member since January of this year. This sanctuary does amazing work making sure of all of the animals are taken care of on a daily basis. From interns to volunteers to members of the board, everybody works hard and pitches in daily to care for these animals and to show them how much we all love them. I love giving the tours on Sunday and see how much joy it brings to the people that come out to see our animals. I am so blessed to be able to be part of this wonderful organization and I look forward to many many more years of helping these animals. I’m so thankful these animals have this very special sanctuary!
It was such a remarkable experience to be able to get very close to such beautiful animals and witness their intelligence. Jennifer and Naomi took their time with us, we never felt rushed, and were very informative. My stepmother was visiting at the time, and it was the highlight of her trip. I was more than happy to leave a donation for their future care. Keep up the good work ladies. Michelle Leigh
I was able to schedule a private tour. The two ladies were incredibly informative, and I was able to interact with a couple of the wolf dogs, which was incredible. Definitely plan on contributing to them and will spread the word about their hard work and heart-felt efforts.
Love Wolf Paws for saving these majestic creatures that would otherwise be euthanized and lost to the world.
This is an excellent wolf sanctuary. The wolves are loved and well cared for. The CEO, Jennifer, works tirelessly to raise money to provide for their care. It is money well invested in this worthy charity.
Fabulous organization with an important life-saving mission. Founder is passionate about educating the public and providing sanctuary for wolf-dogs in need.
I have been so fortunate and blessed to be able to spend time at Wolf PAWS!!!! Just being able to see the love and dedication of the staff and volunteers makes you want to spend every opportunity there to help take care of these wonderful animals!!!! It is truly a blessing to get to go over and spend time with them no matter what I am doing!!!! Just to know I may have a small part in the rescue of these amazing creatures and to work with these fantastic people!!!!
I love going to the Wolfpaws sanctuary every year! The people who work and volunteer there are great people who love the job they do and take pride in their wolf pack. They stand for something great and are very generous people.
It would be difficult, perhaps even impossible, to find a sanctuary in which the director and the staff care more about the physical, emotional and mental well-being of the animals in their care. Jennifer, the director of Wolf PAWS Inc. Positive Awareness Wolf-dog Sanctuary, is full of both passion and compassion for these creatures and that is evident in how she runs Wolf PAWS. As an intern I had the privilege of experiencing the amazing wolf-dogs first hand with the guidance of Jennifer. With such a laudable focus on the education of the public, of her staff and the continued education of herself the director has created a paradise where abandoned wolf-dogs can live out their days in an environment that they truly deserve.
If you’re on the fence about experiencing Wolf PAWS Inc. Positive Awareness Wolf-dog Sanctuary, whether it be as an intern, a volunteer, or simply for a tour, get off the fence, you won’t regret it.
We had a wonderful time this past weekend visiting the wolf dogs at Wolf PAWS! Our daughter has a passion for wolves and Jennifer was very accommodating in letting her feed and spend time with two of the wolf dogs. She also took a lot of time to answer our questions during our visit. We highly recommend Wolf PAWS and know that we will be back in the future.
What magnificent animals. If not for this beautiful sanctuary, these wolves would be gone. This sanctuary is first class and an excellent example of how preserves/sanctuaries should be built and run. Thank you, Wolf Paws, for your amazing energy and preservence in keeping these animals in their natural environment.
We visited Wolf Paws rescue on July 21, 2016. This is a top notch facility for these beautiful animals. Hannah was our tour guide and she was very gracious and knowledgeable about these animals.
Wolf Paws is a very unique charity benefiting wolf-dogs in a beautiful location. The wolves are noticeably happy in their contained habitats and vary in their preferred levels of socialization with humans, with two displaying very distinctive traits of wild wolves. Our volunteer, Hannah, was very knowledgable about the wolf-dogs and very gracious to us. I strongly recommend seeing the Wolf Paws wolf-dog sanctuary as not only a unique and helpful non-profit, but also one of the most interesting sights in this part of Tennessee.
WolfPaws is one of the best places I've ever volunteered. To work one-on-one with Wolves is very eye-opening. Each one of the wolves has their own personality. The wolves are healthy and all have large enclosures where they can live out their lives. I highly recommend WolfPAWS for anyone that wants to learn about wolves and have experiences that will last them a lifetime.
My daughter found WolfPAWS inc. while studying Animal Science at Berry College, Rome Ga., about 2 years ago. After numerous communications with Jennifer Ackley, the administrator and person in charge, our daughter landed an internship at WolfPAWS for summer 1995. The people are warm, caring, and knowledgeable, the volunteers are the best and friendliest , (probably because it is in the Volunteer State of Tennessee!) Not to mention, the facility is in a beautiful location and well worth a visit!
My Wolf Dog Experience at Wolf Paws
All of my life I have had this fascination and love of wolves. They have a special beauty to them. I have always wanted to spend time at a wolf sanctuary to be with these beautiful animals. It has been a dream of mine for a long time.
I had the opportunity to visit Wolf Paws in Dandridge TN. This is a beautiful sanctuary owned and operated by Jennifer and Gordon Ackley. They rescue wolf dogs and provide a safe environment so that they may live in a comfortable setting and not be harmed by human population.
Most of us are inclined to love animals, including me. But cross breeding has made it very difficult for wolf dogs to be domestically tame pets unless they are handled at a very young age. Therefore, people find that they can't care for them the proper way and can not keep them as pets. Jennifer and Gordon take them in and care for them with a lot of love and care. Visiting this sanctuary has made me realize that I need to do some research on wolf dogs and I would love to come back and volunteer some of my time to this cause. We need to be a voice for the wolf dogs. This is a non-profit organization that depends on donations to care for these animals so that they are not euthanized.
I appreciated the time that Jennifer spent with us and hope to return.
You may go to Wolfpaws.org to see some of the wonderful things that are being done, or to donate to Wolf Paws. There is a Facebook page that you can check out as well.
Lee Ann Mason
I was the first intern at Wolf PAWS in the summer of 2015. I had such a great time here learning to train and care for the animals. I learned so much about both domestic and wild canine behavior and so much enjoyed getting to know the resident wolf-dogs. The director is 100% committed to the well-being of the animals at Wolf PAWS, and she continues to educate herself and the others who work there on the best care practices for the animals. The enclosures are VERY spacious and full of enrichment. Each enclosure has a small cabin structure for protection from the elements and a pond for cooling off in the summer. Every animal receives regular socialization and training.
The biggest moment I had working here was when Leia, the highest wolf content animal there, finally ate out of my hand. I had worked with the director all summer helping to train and desensitize Dakota and Leia, who are very fearful of people. It was a HUGE moment for me when, towards the end of the summer, each of them finally trusted me enough to take food out of my hand.