Five dogs born at 35 Mile Haines Highway in February were confirmed this month to be part wolf, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist Carl Koch.

The state last month sent samples from six suspected wolf dogs to the University of California Davis for genetic testing. State wildlife managers have received results from five of the samples so far.

“We submitted several more samples from additional animals but I’d rather not give exact numbers,” Koch said in an email to the CVN.

Some of the owners and the state suspected the animals were wolf hybrids after one registered as 50% wolf on an Embark DNA home test. Koch said “some of (dogs) were described as difficult to manage by their owners even back in June/July.” They reportedly had high energy, and one bit somebody, he said.

Wolfdog hybrids are illegal to breed or possess in Alaska. But dogs awaiting genetic test results are considered legal, even if they’re suspected hybrids. There was some worry among residents that if the test results came back positive, the state would seize the puppies and possibly euthanize them.

A Colorado organization that runs several wolfdog sanctuaries — in states where they’re legal — rescued six of the Haines dogs earlier this month. Fish and Game has been trying to locate all the dogs from the litter, at least 10.

Koch said the state’s priority is to find safe homes for any dogs that are part wolf. “The goal continues to be to help folks succeed in determining the status of their animals and find appropriate facilities for any that are in AK after the results come back (if they are hybrids),” he said.

It could be another five to eight weeks before the rest of the test results come back. “Some samples have required further processing (e.g., males require an extra step because they have a Y-chromosome and females do not), extra steps for quality assurance with some samples, etc.,” Koch said in his email.

He also encouraged owners of dogs born this year at 35 Mile to contact Fish and Game if they haven’t yet.

The litter’s owner, Sean “Seandog” Brownell, said he thinks the mother, Inja, a lab, could’ve mated with a wild wolf last December on or near his property. Such an occurrence, according to biologists, would be very rare but not impossible.