Pet wolf on walk near elementary school nets fine for Louisiana couple, officials say

A couple spotted walking a wild-looking dog near an elementary school last week face legal trouble after a concerned citizen called wildlife authorities.

The animal looked a little too untamed to trust, and the caller was right, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries.

“Agents received a complaint of a large wolf-like animal,” a department release said, and the caller “was worried about the safety of the schoolchildren.”

The same canine had attacked someone in the Lafayette neighborhood before, the caller told officials.

Agents went to the home of Andrew Hill, 47, and Jill Kraemer, 49, to see the pet, which seemed to be a wolf.

To be certain, agents took the animal to test its DNA and confirmed it was a gray wolf, the release said.

It is illegal to have a gray wolf in Louisiana, and possessing one can carry a fine of $100-$350 and up to 60 days in jail. Hill and Kraemer were cited on a charge of possessing a live gray wolf.

The animal is being kept at a K-9 training facility.

This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Pet wolf on walk near elementary school nets fine for Louisiana couple, officials say."