Court Greenlights WDFW’s Killing of More Sherman Wolves; Now Decisionmakers Need to Hear from You
Today, King County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien issued an order denying our request for a Preliminary Injunction to protect what remains of the Sherman wolf family — just two adult females struggling to care for their pups after months of relentless persecution, poaching, and state-sanctioned killing.
This means the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) could issue another kill order at any time, targeting one of the last surviving adults — a move that would effectively destroy the family and doom the remaining pups to starvation.
At today’s hearing, our legal team presented overwhelming evidence that WDFW’s October 9, 2025, kill order against the Sherman wolf pack was arbitrary, capricious, and unscientific. We demonstrated that the Department’s determination to obliterate the Shermans defies science, ignores the opinions of its experts, and violates its own Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol. WDFW had little to say in response to our challenge, hiding instead behind the shield of agency deference.
WDFW’s kill order against the pack represents an abandonment of its duty to defend wildlife in the public trust, in favor of appeasing powerful special interests.
We are disappointed in today’s result, but our fight is not over—our lawsuit is ongoing, and we are exploring other legal alternatives to protect the Shermans.
But in the meantime, the Sherman family needs you now more than ever!
Before WDFW can issue another kill order, we’re calling on all our supporters to contact WDFW leadership and the Fish and Wildlife Commission and demand that they protect the Sherman family and end this persecution of endangered wolves.
Please contact WDFW decision-makers today, and continue to call and email them in the coming days:
- WDFW Commission (will reach all nine commissioners): commission@dfw.wa.gov
- Director Kelly Susewind: kelly.susewind@dfw.wa.gov | 360-902-2200
- Deputy Director Amy Windrope: amy.windrope@dfw.wa.gov | 360-298-2278
Suggested script (please adjust to make your own feelings clear!):
I’m outraged that WDFW decided to execute the Sherman wolf family on behalf of Diamond M Ranch, and continues its policy of killing endangered wolves to appease irresponsible cattle operators on public lands. This persecution is unethical, unscientific, and does not reflect my values. Please stop killing to appease special interests and commit to real coexistence informed by science.
Help us keep this fight going. The Department needs to hear loud and clear that Washingtonians will not tolerate more wolves being killed at taxpayer expense for the benefit of private profit.