The Scoop: Wolf Connection runs educational and empowerment programs that invite people to get to know the intrepid spirit of the wolf. The nonprofit supports a wolfdog sanctuary in Acton, California, where it hosts unique hiking events and a Wolf Therapy curriculum for at-risk youth. Individuals, couples, and families who visit the Wolf Connection sanctuary can learn about wolves and join a pack of soulful people on an outdoor adventure like no other.
One of my guy friends has always maintained that his spirit animal is a wolf. His apartment is full of wolf paintings, sculptures, and decor, and he even got a wolf tattoo on his arm to really drive home the point.
My friend used to tag photos of himself at bars and clubs with #LoneWolf, and he seemed genuinely content being on his own — until he met someone who shared a similarly wild nature. A couple years ago, he started dating a woman who has two large wolf-like dogs, and they now live together and go on hiking and camping adventures. Now my friend posts photos tagged #WolfPack.
Couples can strengthen their relationship when they share similar interests and values. That’s what dating is all about, so it can be exceptionally helpful to find a date venue that speaks to you (and your spirit animal).

Founded in 2009, Wolf Connection is a youth education and empowerment program focused on the rescue and rehabilitation of wolfdogs in California. The nonprofit rescues large canines from bad situations and invites people to visit the sanctuary to get to know these wise and playful creatures in a safe and healing environment.
Wolf Connection has a variety of hands-on (sometimes literally) programs that prompt participants to see life from a wolf’s eyes and become more in tune with their natural instincts and simple pleasures.
Couples can visit Wolf Connection on a date to explore new sights and run with a dynamic and loving pack. You don’t have to feel a kinship with wolves to get something meaningful out of this experience.
To quote “The Wolf Connection” book written by Teo Alfero, “Wolves have a heart-centered, awe-inspiring presence that is unforgettable and impactful beyond language. An encounter like this can awaken a dormant, primal memory within us, an echo from a distant time when we were more alert, connected to nature, awake, and alive.”
Walk on the Wild Side With Your Significant Other
Anyone can visit the Wolf Connection sanctuary and go on a community hike or a semi-private walk with wolves. These unique experiences include one-on-one encounters with the rescue wolfdogs, a tour of the ranch, and an expert guide to explain the history, mythology, and significance of the wolf.
Couples celebrating a special event may want to book a private tour at Wolf Connection to ensure they have the undivided attention of the guide and the pack. Tours typically last no more than three hours.
In addition to the tours, Wolf Connection has the only Wolf Therapy program in the U.S. The rehabilitation program uses wolves as therapy animals to help troubled youths get in touch with their emotions, reflect on their impulses, and better understand the value of loyalty, integrity, courage, and dedication. The program’s participants build confidence by becoming the leader of the pack and learning compassion by taking care of another being.
“The Today Show” praised Wolf Connection for finding a way to give both man and wolf “a second chance at life” through its guided therapy program.
Individuals and couples often come away from the Wolf Connection’s programs with a greater appreciation for nature and a renewed sense of purpose in their lives.
“What a wonderful way to support a nonprofit organization while finding inner peace and self-reflecting,” said Edward F. in a Yelp review. “The friendly staff made it feel like a home away from home.”
Whether you’re visiting Wolf Connection for a tour, event, or educational program, you will definitely remember your time here, and it could be a treasured memory indeed for couples who love communing with nature.
“I have to say, this is the most unique experience of our lives,” said Rashi B., who visited Wolf Connection for her boyfriend’s birthday and had a transformative experience in nature. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sure!”
Sponsorship Programs Allow You to Show Your Love
As a nonprofit, Wolf Connection depends on support from animal lovers, nature enthusiasts, and other altruistic individuals to keep its operation going. The tours, events, and other programs go a long way to help the organization care for its animals, but some visitors go one step further by sponsoring a wolf at the sanctuary.

Wolf Connection offers its sponsors many special benefits, including the ability to visit the ranch and interact directly with the sponsored wolf. Additionally, each sponsoring couple or individual receives a plaque on the wolf’s habitat in recognition of their contribution.
The team also mails its sponsors a packet that includes a professional photograph of their wolf, their wolf’s bio, and a tuft of their wolf’s fur in a glass vial. This fur is recovered during shedding season and serves as a lasting reminder of the sponsor’s connection to another life.
Sponsors can celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special events at the ranch, and they are always welcome to schedule a visit with their sponsored wolf for feeding sessions and photo ops.
To start a sponsorship, you can contact Ree Merrill at RMerrill@WolfConnection.org and make a donation.
“A visit to Wolf Connection is life-changing,” said Kelli R. in a heartfelt testimonial. “It’s almost an indescribable feeling to spend time with them and to experience their power and grace firsthand; they’re so intelligent! I highly recommend anyone who is called to spend time with wolves not only to go to Wolf Connection, but also to donate to this very worthy organization.”
Run With a New Pack at Wolf Connection
The soulful eyes, tough spirit, and wildness of wolves can speak to people who consider themselves loners, but that lone-wolf narrative misses the true nature of the wolf. Wolves are pack animals. The strength of the wolf isn’t in its bared teeth or muscled chest, but in its steadfast loyalty to something greater than itself. That’s the essential spirit that Wolf Connection impresses upon visitors of all ages.
When you visit the Wolf Connection sanctuary, you can enjoy an eye-opening and heartwarming experience in nature. Couples can learn to trust in their own family pack, while singles can learn to heal from past heartaches and move forward as part of a thriving community.
From the rehabilitation program to the guided tours, Wolf Connection offers a lot of ways for people to connect with wolves and discover a deeper truth about themselves in the process.
As the Wolf Connection team says, “At Wolf Connection, we go even further by tapping into this ancient bond between wolves and humans in order to reach and engage at-risk persons at a much deeper level.”