We like the way James Doughty is going about trying to establish a wolf-dog hybrid reserve in Bristol.
He has been up front with his neighbors. He has been straightforward with the town. He has promised to take extra security measures to secure his charges and protect the public and he has answered sometimes hostile questions. At the very least, he is sensitive to the local concerns.
However, despite the best intentions, sometimes a bad idea is just a bad idea.
Doughty has a good idea, and he is approaching it the right way. He doesn’t seem to have the right place. It is significant even supporters of wolf-dog hybrids express safety concerns and caution against using a nine acre property to house up to the 18 animals Doughty is hoping to accommodate.
On those accounts, he needs more space than he has and that, more than anything else, we think, is a bright red flag.
We support the right of property owners to do what they please with their own property but the rights of the individuals should not subordinate the general welfare; self determination stops when its disturbs the peace.
For all of their charm, wolf-dog hybrids are as much wolf as dog. Given that even a playful dog can cause harm, and wolves are obviously an Alpha predator, we understand the local cause for concern.
Left to its own devices, as Doughty’s hybrids reportedly were over the weekend, bad things can happen, not because the animal has a malicious intent, but because the animal is, at heart, a wild animal.
We understand that Doughty is willing to go the extra mile to assure the public safety, and we respect that, but all it will take is one time, at the wrong time, and then we could have a much sadder story to report.
