I visited a wolf sanctuary last Summer. They have a wolf that was a gift to a teenaged girl from her parents. The girl was obsessed with wolves but was angry with the parents because she knew what was necessary to care for one. She immediately had them hire a contractor to build an enclosure that exceeded the standards used by wolf rescues. She also spent time with it every day.
When it was time for her to leave for college she arranged to donate the wolf to the sanctuary. At first they said they didn’t have any room so her family donated the money (about $40,000) to build an additional enclosure (they’re kept individually or in pairs). Then they said they couldn’t ship the wolf so the family flew it from Montana to Texas on their private jet.
The wolf has a trust fund.
I hope they found a mate for that wolf. Like birds, wolves mate for life.
One of the best animal books I've read was Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat, that described the habits of Canadian wolves. He said that wolves are so “extended-family oriented” in their packs that single wolves attach themselves to a mated sibling (or other mated pack member) and act as babysitters or mentors to the others' young.
I love that the family did the wolf right. Much better than the stories that I often hear.