Police in the Limburg city of Genk we called out to deal with what local residents believed was a wolf. However, the animal that was surrounded and eventually captured by officers on the Onderwijslaan in the early hours of Tuesday morning was in fact a Czechoslovakian wolfdog. Jan Loos of Welcome Wolf told VRT News that he understands why people thought that the dog was a wolf.
Two patrol cars went to the scene and first spotted the animal on Genk’s Westerring. They were able to follow what turned out to be a dog to the Onderwijslaan. There they surrounded the animal in front of a house and finally caught it. As they weren’t sure whether it was a wolf, they called in the assistance of Nature Rescue Centre. However, it soon became apparent that the animal was a dog.
During the whole incident, the dog remained remarkably calm and allowed himself to be led away from the road. The police were able to read the dog’s ID chip and he is now back with his owner.
Cross between a German shepherd and a wolf
Jan Loos confirms the dog that was caught by police on Monday night is an older Czechoslovakian wolfdog. “We receive these kinds of reports very often, especially in this area. Genk is a real hotspot for wolfdogs. They often roam around in the area near to the E314 motorway.”
“A Czechoslovakian wolfdog is a kind of cross between a wolf and a German shepherd. Not only do they resemble wolves, but they are also just as shy and clever, which means they often escape. The difference between them and real wolves is sometimes almost impossible to see, so we understand why people get confused. Fortunately, at Welcome Wolf we have years of experience with these animals and can therefore recognise them quickly”.