Owning a wolfdog and researching the care should always begin with knowing where it is legal to own them.
Across the United States, the status of wolfdog hybrids varies from completely banned to restricted to completely unregulated. And while there are many people who are interested in owning a wolfdog for a pet, the legality can work against you.
There are several states where people are allowed to own a wolfdog but have regulations on caging vaccines and identification. Then, there are other states where there are no laws at all. Instead, the state government has decided to leave it up to the county to decide whether someone should be allowed to own this type of pet.
If the state you are interested in is listed below, that means there is some mention or some issue with ownership within that state. Be sure to also look into the legislature in your county, town, and even village because they can completely ban ownership where the state has no such laws.
Wolfdogs are allowed in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Even if you are in one of these states, it is still important to check local laws as some counties or municipalities may make owning a wolfdog illegal.
In eleven additional states, it is legal to own a wolfdog with some restrictions on the ownership. Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas have restrictions that may be based on the specific areas where wolgdogs can be owned or the type of housing and care the wolfdog will have, for example. In all other states, it is illegal to own a wolfdog.