PALMER -- The owner of a Palmer-area tourist attraction known as Wolf Country USA has pleaded guilty to a single count of owning and selling wolf hybrids, troopers say.
Werner Schuster, 81, was sentenced in Palmer court Wednesday to a $3,000 fine and five years probation, according to troopers. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped similar charges against Schuster's wife and his Glenn Highway business.
Troopers searched Wolf Country USA in June, collecting DNA samples from 39 suspected wolf hybrids and puppies. All the animals tested positive for wolf ancestry, troopers say.
The business, north of Palmer, once billed itself online as home to "the largest wolfpack" in the state.
Schuster pleaded guilty to a single charge of owning or selling a wolf mix, which is illegal under any circumstances in Alaska. It's illegal to own a wolf in the state without a special permit.
Schuster was sentenced to 90 days in jail with all 90 days suspended.
Anchorage Daily News / adn.com