Remembering Our Friend, Wendy Spencer
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
By Pamela Maciel Cabañas, Sanctuary Director & SAFE Mexican Wolf Secretary
Published in Wolf Tracks vol. 42, no. IV
Winter 2025/2026
"Come over here. This is where he likes to greet us. Isn’t he gorgeous? You can put your hand flat to the fence and let him smell you. He is probably going to present for scratches once he gets to know you, but don’t spend too much time on it, we should let his wildness come back to him.”
When Wendy introduced me to Shadow on my first day at Wolf Haven, she shared a view that would be carved into my memory forever, helping to steer my path and mark the rest of my career. She went on to emphasize that wolves – even the rescued ones born into the pet trade and socialized by people as pups – were wild, and our job was to honor that wildness the best we could. It was through no fault of their own that these wolves and wolfdogs ended up trapped between worlds, so our responsibility was to provide them with anything they needed to be safe and comfortable, while also allowing them the space to be themselves and not be what humans imposed upon them; to facilitate an environment where they can bond and express natural behaviors with their conspecifics.
It was the year of 2011. Wendy Spencer, a warm and shy middle-aged woman, had been working at Wolf Haven for 13 years. Her perception and attitude toward her job and the wild canids who called the sanctuary home had evolved tremendously during that time, and would continue to grow and adapt as she absorbed the world around her.
Wendy started as a volunteer at the Tenino sanctuary, and was soon hired on as our Volunteer Coordinator. She quickly became involved in providing support to the animal care department too, where she found her true passion. After navigating some extremely complex years at Wolf Haven, Wendy became the Animal Curator, a position which was later renamed Animal Care Director.
After two decades of working in Washington, Wendy followed her heart once again and uprooted her life to become the Director of Montana Operations at McCleery Ranch – a wolf sanctuary in Bridger, Montana that was entrusted to Wolf Haven in 2018. That big change was a natural move for Wendy, who had already contributed so much to Wolf Haven’s Tenino sanctuary and could now bring her expertise to a new location. She was also excited to enjoy a quieter life nestled at the base of Beartooth Pass, where she cared for the McCleery wolves with great devotion until her death in September 2025.
Wendy Spencer paved the way for what Wolf Haven is today. She advanced individualized care. She fought for those whose voices were not always heard. She represented the sanctuary view in a multitude of contexts. And she welcomed people from all backgrounds and perspectives to the Wolf Haven community. She leaves her mark in the humans she touched – as a loving daughter, sister and friend; avid hiking and meditation companion; adventurous camping and fishing buddy; thoughtful and curious anthrozoology philosopher; witty and bold mentor; and passionate wolf caregiver. But most of all, she leaves an irreplaceable legacy through all the animals whose lives were changed forever, both directly and indirectly, by her compassion and dedication.
Wen, may you find peace and comfort wherever you go (which we imagine is beautifully wild and plentiful with four-legged furry creatures). Thank you for all that you did while in this shared world with us. Your Wolf Haven family will carry on your mission of offering unconditional love to all creatures, now and into the future.