On Saturday, the wolf that was removed from the unincorporated town of Milford on Jan. 26 after attacking a neighboring dog finally got his chance to leave the Greensburg Decatur County Animal Shelter.

For the past nine months, he has occupied a kennel at the shelter that is enclosed on all sides - including a roof. While he has had the opportunity to have snacks of raw meat and specialized food for his needs, he has not had any opportunity to interact with his own kind without a fence between. This changed for the better on Saturday, when he was transported to Wolf Park in Battleground, a rescue specializing in wolves.

The black wolf, Midnight, has been in the limbo of a pending court case since legal action began against his owners, Chad and Tawenis Arthur. State law requires that a wolf hybrid must be kept in a building or secure enclosure. If not contained in this manner, the animals must be under the reasonable control of a person more than 18 years of age and on a leash no longer than eight feet long.

In Midnight’s case, he was found running loose in Milford after breaking loose from a tether, which does not meet the legal requirements for wolf hybrid confinement. As a result, the Arthurs were charged with a Class B Misdemeanor, Failure to keep wolf hybrid in secure enclosure or under reasonable control (IC 15-20-1-5(c)).

While legal action slowly churned, Midnight could neither be returned to his owners nor sent to a rescue organization. However, on Aug. 6, the Arthurs were granted a deferment of criminal prosecution on three conditions. First, Midnight’s ownership was officially relinquished such that Greensburg Decatur County Animal Control could release him to a rescue organization. Second, the Arthurs agreed to pay restitution to the shelter for Midnight’s medical attention, room and board, totaling $1,300, within the following 12 months. Third, the Arthurs signed that they would commit no further criminal offenses, either felony or misdemeanor, within the next six months.

If all of these conditions are met, the State of Indiana will dismiss the pending charges.

Regardless the eventual outcome of the criminal process, Midnight now has a place to call home. He has been paired with a spayed female, the optimal situation for a wolf, and will be amongst his kind in a safe and secure enclosure for the remainder of his life.