Best friends: Kara & Nayeli

Can you give us a little more background about how you came to bond with a wolf dog? 

Two years ago I started working for Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge. I fell in love with the Wolves, deer , mountain lions , Bobcats , and started being there as much as I could. March before last we got a call from a man that was illegally breeding Wolves in Indiana . They were escaping his property and getting shot & killed. We took in the two remaining adults and five pups that we now had to raise. On March 8th 2014 my life changed . I was handed a two week old pup that was now my  responsibility to bottle feed and raise . I named this pup Nayeli (I love you). I knew from the beginning that this pup was different and the older she got the owner of the sanctuary saw it too. Usually Wolves are very skittish towards people but Nayeli loves everyone she meets. We decided to train her to be an ambassadors going to schools, doing photo shoots, and we just had our first commercial with Florida Georgia Line!

Have you always loved and worked with animals? 

I have always loved working with animals. As a four year old I would run around saying "I'm going to be a wolf biologist!" I have bonded with all the animals at wolf run. I love them. I know each ones personality even their favorite individual foods! 

What is life with Nayeli like? What is a typical day like?

A typical day is I go to the refuge every morning to work, (she stays with her pack half the time and the other nights she sleeps at my house) take Nayeli hiking at red river gorge or to her favorite local pet stores, some nights my boyfriend and I take Nayeli to local restaurants who let us eat on the patio. She loves to play in the back yard but loves to nap even more ! Life with her is never boring she is so curious of the world and I want to explore it with her. Nayeli is on a raw meat diet. We get donations from a local co-op that has all grass fed organic meat. Nayeli needs a ton of exercise . We try to take a hike or play in the yard multiple times a day. If we don't she can stay up and beg us to play all night!

Does she know any cool tricks?

For a wolf dog any trick is a cool trick haha they are very intelligent but they have no need to please humans which is another reason why nayeli is so different. So far nayeli can sit , lay down , stand up, high five , and jump over agility poles. But she is still learning every day and loves learning new things.

Does she get on with other animals?

Nayeli loves other animals! Her best friend is my chihuahua/ shihtzu mix millie! I am working on making them their own Instagram account because they are too cute together.

Does she have any major Wolf traits like a pack mentality?

Nayeli lives with her pack half the time and is the alpha ! She loves them and it's amazing to see how she can leave for days at a time and come back and still have her roll like she never left. They are a very special pack.

How many animals live with you?

Animals that live with me : Nayeli , Millie (Chihuahua shihtzu mix) Sable (winmeriner) Smokey (blue healer) they all love Nayeli and Nayeli loves them!

What is the cutest thing she has ever done?

Nayeli's nickname to almost everyone is noodle wolf. When she was a baby she would flop over in her milk and now when she meets anyone who will scratch her belly she flops over. With me she will crawl in my lap and lay on me like she's a person! It's hilarious.

Does she have a naughty or mischievous side?

Nayeli's mischievous side is that her dad (my boyfriend Daron) has a saltwater tank and she loves to steal the fish food and will run all around the house with it! Also she once thought my blow dryer was attacking me and she silently destroyed it in two minutes .

What does she eat?

Nayeli has a very expensive treat habit. It's embarrassing when you go to a pet store and the wolf dog will stick her nose in the air to the treat the owner is trying to give her. She won't even eat people food! She will only eat certain brands of freeze dried , and dehydrated treats and for chews she will only eat raw bones , sheep horns , bully sticks and antlers . Between her and Millie I spend about 50 dollars a week or more on treats and chews!

What is her cutest trait?

Gosh everything she does is cute ! One day we were at the pet store and Nayeli saw a little girl in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy . She couldn't talk but was reaching for Nayeli. Nayeli immediately had a connection with her and the little girl was so happy that she and her mom started to cry. Seeing her with the little girl was pretty cute and a very touching moment for me.

Nayeli is a natural in front of the camera, can you tell us a bit more about her recent commercial!

Nayeli's commercial was for Florida Georgia Lines clothing line Tribe Kelley ! She was a natural . It was her first time on a big set and you could tell she knew she was the star . She absolutely loves to work and I can't wait to do more work with her. Hopefully movies next!

Nayeli is my best friend because... she's changed my life . She loves everyone she meets and can make you instantly smile . She makes me want to inspire people and help them reach their dreams because she's helped me reach mine.in our time together we have bonded so closely, I love her more than anything and I couldn't think of any other way to show people that but through FriendshipCollar.