Volunteers are asking people not to feed a wolf-dog hybrid on the loose in a rural area outside Parksville for more than two months.

The animal, reportedly released by an owner, has been sighted in areas such as the Virginia Estates subdivision, Springhill Road and nearby forested Crown land.

Gary Shade, co-founder of FLED (Find lost and escaped dogs) said the wolf-dog has been spotted via trail cam checking out a baited trap. FLED is assisting resident Colleen Rowe, who has 15 years of experience rescuing and fostering wolf-dogs, in her efforts to humanely trap the hybrid animal.

鈥淗e just doesn鈥檛 seem to go in. So I mean, he鈥檚 not getting hungry enough,鈥� Shade said.

He was informed by people who frequent the area that someone has been feeding the wolf-dog for approximately a week. The animal could also be sustaining itself on rabbits, Shade added.

The animal is wary of humans, according to Rowe, and she does not believe it is possible to get close enough to leash him.

Shade does not believe the wolf-dog is aggressive. He pointed to a recent sighting where a person encountered it while out horseback riding. The hybrid came out of the bushes and followed along, but was not behaving aggressively, he said.

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Other encounters involved off-leash dogs, Shade said.

鈥淭hey ran up to it, and he was just kind of protecting himself,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that happens even at domestic dog parks. Little dogs run up toward a big dog, and the dog tries to protect itself and you鈥檝e got a dog fight.鈥�

Shade thinks it is best to have a single trap, rather than attempting to monitor multiple locations.

鈥淥nce the dog is in a trap, you want to be there within five to 10 minutes at the most, or they鈥檒l start freaking out,鈥� he said.

Signs are posted in the area warning about the wolf-dog鈥檚 presence.

鈥淧lease don鈥檛 feed the dog, and if you鈥檙e walking up there, keep your dogs on leash,鈥� Shade said. 

B.C. Conservation Service has indicated the animal is outside its jurisdiction. Oceanside RCMP have received no calls about the wolf-dog.

Sightings of the wolf-dog can be reported to FLED at info@fledsearch.ca or 250-479-0911.