Time has run out for the wolves of Chipley.

After more than two decades in Washington County, Seacrest Wolf Preserve must vacate its 62-acre property by March 15 following a court ruling tied to a lease dispute.

More than 20 animals now face an urgent relocation deadline.

 

Lease Dispute Forces Closure

A judge ordered the preserve to leave after finding it failed to meet lease requirements for liability and business interruption insurance, as reported by WTVY.

Landowner Leon DeCook argued the agreement required a $1 million liability policy and $500,000 in business interruption coverage. The court agreed.

According to WEAR-TV, the preserve referenced another Florida facility that said such coverage was not required and that policies covering wolf-related injuries were difficult to obtain.

The ruling stands. The deadline remains.

Animals at Risk as Deadline Nears

Seacrest has housed wolves alongside raccoons, foxes, skunks, and opossums, offering education programs and public tours for years, Washington County News reports.

Those tours have now been halted.

In a statement shared on social media and quoted by WJHG, the organization said it “lost” the case and warned that some animals may not survive the outcome of the closure.

A spokesperson told WJHG the immediate concern is animal well-being. Securing land is not the main barrier. Funding and time are.

Relocation requires fencing, transport, permits, and labor. Those costs add up quickly.

 

 

Rescue Community Steps In

Other sanctuaries have offered help. Grizzly Bear Ranch said it has space and custom transport trailers to assist, but relocation demands enclosure construction and state licensing before animals move, according to WTVY.

Supporters have rallied. A fundraiser has raised nearly $50,000 to offset relocation expenses, WMBB reports.

Still, uncertainty remains.

For the wolves who have lived there for decades, the preserve is home. Now, with days left, their future depends on how quickly safe placements can be secured.