Today, Saturday, August 29, is the 17th anniversary of my husband Doug Honnold and I, and what are we doing? We are both in our offices working to stop the wolf hunt, slated to begin in Idaho next Tuesday. In Idaho, over 4000 tags have already been sold to kill 220 wolves in a state-sponsored hunt (another 35 or more tags will be issued by the Nez Perce Tribe). When all is said and done, hunting and other sources of mortality could reduce Idaho's wolf population by over 50%.

Right now, Doug's whole team at Earthjustice (EJ) is in their office, wading through hundreds of pages of briefs filed by the federal government, the states, and a suite of interveners yesterday. The EJ team is a talented, dedicated and remarkable bunch: besides Doug, there is Tim Preso, Jenny Harbine and Sean Helle, who are representing NRDC and 12 other groups in this case. Wolves could ask for no better defense.

It is uncanny how the major twists and turns in the high stakes, high drama wolf debate have occurred during special days and holidays over the few years. Several Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays have been consumed by the campaign to save Northern Rockies wolves. Its almost seems deliberate, how key documents are released by the government right before major holidays.

But that is what service to the wolf and other voteless, voiceless wild animals requires - a willingness to sacrifice one's time, one's ego, one's vacation, when the need arises. This work is not merely a job, it is what gives meaning to our lives.

By then end of the day, EJ will have filed their response briefs and then, hopefully, Doug and I can go out and celebrate. But not too much, because tomorrow we drive to Missoula. At 9 am on Monday, we will have, again, a big showdown in federal court over the fate of hundreds of wolves -- wolves that we have worked so hard to restore in the Northern Rockies. Wolves that don't get holidays, because every day, they have to work to bring home dinner, raise their young, survive the storms, sometimes fierce competition with other packs - and the threats posed by we humans, their biggest killer.   

Wish us luck.