Nathaniel Neitz, Editor

1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037

Tel: (1) 202-452-1100
Email: nneitz@humanesociety.org www.humanesociety.org

Merritt Clifton

Animals24-7

POB 101

Greenbank, WA 98253

August 8, 2018

Subject: Inquiry about statistics posted on your website “animals242-7.org”

Dear Merritt Clifton,

I am contacting your company on behalf of the Humane Society of the United States. As you may know,
it is currently legal to buy and sell Wolf-Dog hybrids for domestic ownership purposes in the states of
Alabama, Idaho, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. We have
observed incidents of wolf-dog hybrid attacks throughout these states and in states before the sale of
wolves was made illegal. A recent attack in North Carolina that resulted in the maiming of a young girl
has prompted us to investigate the legality of wolf ownership in these states that insist on allowing the
sales of wolves.

The results of our research

Throughout our investigation, it became quite apparent that there are fundamental differences
between dogs and wolves, both behaviorally and biologically. As demonstrated by countless studies,
statistics, and examples, these differences can lead to increased amounts of violent tendencies
compared to domesticated dogs. During our research, Animals24-7 helped greatly as a source of
information, and a decent amount of our research data was gathered from your website.

The main points of data that were gathered from your website are located in an article titled: “Dog
attack deaths & maimings, U.S. & Canada, 1982-2016.” This article shows that there have been
approximately 5,000 pitbull attacks resulting in a maiming and/or death since 1982. In addition to this,
you state that there have been roughly 92 wolf-dog hybrid attacks since 1982. When examining these
numbers further, and adjusting for population number differences, it can be seen that the likelihood
that a wolf-dog hybrid attacks an individual is nearly 90 times higher than the likelihood of a pitbull
attack.

To get to the point, what we aim to do is present a bill to the lawmakers of North Carolina, proposing
that the unregulated domestic sale of dogs that contain more than 50% wolf DNA be outlawed in the
state, and punishable by a fine. This bill will introduce a law that is similar to the ones already in place in
other states. This bill will in part be based on your data regarding wolf attacks and pitbull attacks.
Our requests
In order to craft a well written law proposal, our sources must be vetted as thoroughly as possible. As
we wish to include a decent amount of your data in the final bill, there are several questions that we
need to ask you regarding the statistics posted on your website and your expertise with these types of
attacks.

1. Do you have an in-depth list of sources for the data shown in your article titled: “Dog attack
deaths & maimings, U.S. & Canada, 1982-2016”?

2. Based on your observations of wolf-dog hybrid attacks over the years, what legislation would
you recommend? (i.e. what percentage of wolf DNA do you think should be legal?)

3. Would you be willing to work with us to craft the bill? If you wish, you and your website can be
cited on the final document, in addition to an article that will be published on the National
Humane Society website.

Conclusion
In summary, our main goal for this bill is to cut down on the amounts of killings and maimings that have
occurred from wolf attacks in the state of North Carolina, and to prevent any future attacks from
happening. We would be willing to provide monetary compensation if you can provide us with a detailed
list of sources for the attack data published on your website. It would also be very beneficial if you could
provide your opinion on this action. It should be stated that any response you give will not be publicly
quoted, unless you give explicit permission for us to do so.

We look forward to hearing back from your organization.

Best regards,

Nate Neitz

Editor

The Humane Society

www.humanesociety.org