WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — The DNA results are in.
It turns out both of Warwick’s infamous “black coyotes” are wolf hybrids.
The Red Riding Hood Rescue Project shared the DNA profile for both dogs on social media Tuesday.
Bella, who has since been renamed Willow, is 45% Gray Wolf, 27% German Shepherd, 23% Alaskan Malamute and 5% Siberian Husky.
The DNA results for Libby, who’s been renamed Wiley Coyote, reveal she is 57% Gray Wolf, 19% German Shepherd, 18% Alaskan Malamute and 6% Siberian Husky.
The 6-month-old sisters were relocated earlier this month to a wolfdog sanctuary in Ohio, after the Warwick Animal Shelter decided it wouldn’t be in the dogs’ best interest to wait until the results came back. While it is legal to own wolf hybrids in Ohio, Rhode Island is one of 12 states where it’s against the law.
The dogs gained notoriety after the two were spotted near Oakland Beach late last month. The sisters spent several days on the lam, sauntering down streets, running through yards and playing with one another along the shoreline.
The wolfdogs were initially thought to be coyotes, until it was discovered that the two were intentionally set loose from a home on Powhatan Street. The two residents who released the wolfdogs have since been arrested and are facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges.
The sisters will be put up for adoption in Ohio so long as their training and socialization is successful. If not, the dogs will receive lifetime care at the wolfdog sanctuary.