The other big fundraiser is the animals' birthday party in the spring. Guidry said they give the animals a new gift each hour to play with. A favorite treat is a phone book sprinkled with cinnamon that they tear to shreds.

Guidry said sanctuary workers try to keep the animals stimulated throughout the year, not just on their birthdays. She tries to introduce them to something new as often as she can, whether that's a salmon popsicle to beat the heat or basil leaves hidden around their enclosures.

Guidry said being in their natural habitat would be ideal for the animals, but others have noticed that the animals at St. Francis seem to enjoy their Texas home. She said one federal inspector, who made her first trip to the sanctuary recently for a required surprise visit, said the animals at St. Francis were the happiest she had seen in her 20 years on the job.

Guidry attributed their happiness to the consistency of care they receive, but the way the animals approach her for a scratch on the back suggests that she has a lot to do with their happiness.

"There's not many other species of animal that can form a kind of connection with a human like they can," she said. "Wolves are so family- or pack-oriented with each other, and so in tune with each other, and they can transfer that to people as well."