Six wolfdogs rescued from an animal abuser who kept a dead dog in a freezer are now enjoying a new life. The animals, known as the 'Scotland Six', arrived at The Little Zoo in Wiltshire in 2022 "severely underweight, unsocialised and terrified", according to the Scottish SPCA. On International Wolf Day, the animals are finally receiving the patience, care and understanding they need to thrive.
Abuser banned and fined
Graham McQuet was handed a five-year ban on owning and keeping animals and fined £2,000 at Falkirk Sheriff Court in March 2026 for failing to provide adequate care for his six wolfdogs and pet cat, causing them unnecessary suffering and distress. When an SSPCA inspector attended McQuet’s property in Grangemouth, they found every wolfdog wearing a shock collar. Tragically, one dead pup was found in a freezer.
The animals appeared to be controlled rather than trained, while their kennels were described as inappropriately sized and the property itself was in extremely poor condition. McQuet, who had previously had his images used by football fan stalker Jill Sharp to present them as a couple, repeatedly denied entry to his home, forcing the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland to secure a warrant to assess the full state of the property.
Rescue and rehabilitation
Before the warrant was executed, McQuet rehomed the wolfdogs to The Little Zoo. The charity has since worked painstakingly to rebuild the animals’ trust and give them a safe and predictable life. Five of the wolfdogs continue to be cared for by The Little Zoo, which specialises in exotic animals, and live at Wolves of Wiltshire, also based at the sanctuary. The sixth was domesticated enough to be rehomed and is now thriving with his forever family.
His owner recently told the zoo: “He goes everywhere with us, is treated so well, sleeps in our bed, and we love him to bits.” A spokesperson for The Little Zoo said: “It took months and months of patience to slowly introduce the wolfdogs to a safe and predictable routine. They had to learn that food no longer needed to be fought over - that it would arrive every day and that even those who had previously missed out would always have enough to eat.”
Long-term care and recovery
The spokesperson said staff learned the animals’ individual personalities, carefully managed their behaviour and gradually built their trust. They added: “The ones who remain with us are still completely wild and live as wolves, rather than domestic dogs. They have a wonderful space alongside some of our other wolf residents and, although they are not domesticated, we have formed a very special bond with them as their care handlers.”
At McQuet's property, officers also discovered the body of a dead eight-month-old wolfdog named Artas inside a freezer in the hallway. The animal was missing a leg, with evidence at trial showing the loss occurred after death and that the carcass had been predated by another dog. Another wolfdog, Bronn, was found with a painful, inflamed wound caused by the inappropriate use of his shock collar. The Scottish SPCA previously said the wolfdogs had recovered physically from their neglect, but warned that the behavioural damage caused by their treatment would remain.
Positive future ahead
Now, almost four years after arriving at The Little Zoo, staff say their “terrible start in life is now behind them”. The spokesperson said: “Almost four years on, we are incredibly proud of how far they have come and of the relationships they - and we - have formed here. Their terrible start in life is now behind them, and their future is a positive one. They are certainly not suitable pets for most people, but they all now have the care, understanding and environments that they need to thrive.”
The Record previously revealed McQuet’s bizarre past life, including a shocking incident in 2015 when he attacked a baby girl. McQuet admitted seizing the seven-month-old girl by the head and body at his home in Grangemouth and inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and body. Two years later, McQuet was thrust back into the public spotlight in a catfishing scandal after a Twitter account of Rangers fan Jill Sharp - who was later convicted for stalking other people - featured photos of him and her, presenting them as a betrothed couple. The Twitter account used photos stolen from McQuet and his real-life girlfriend at the time, featuring them enjoying a break in London. The fake images photoshopped Jill Sharp into photos with McQuet - who later publicly denounced the deception. Sharp claimed that her social media account had been hacked and that a stranger must have carried out the scam, which stretched over years. Charges accusing Sharp of stalking McQuet were later dropped.
