Game of Thrones Author George R. R. Martin's Awesome Wolf Obsession

We’ve been patiently awaiting George R.R. Martin’s next installment of his fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, but that’s not the only worthy pursuit that’s been taking up his time. Martin made headlines last year when he ran a contest promising to award the three top donors to his charities their own custom death in his book series.

It totally worked, with the three largest donations each eclipsing the $20,000 mark. But where did the money go? Well, it turns out that even though the author brought dire wolves back to life in his books, he also has a soft spot in his heart for modern-day wolves. The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary was one of the primary beneficiaries of Martin’s promotion.

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Martin and his wife, Parris, have been longtime supporters of Wild Spirit, which currently houses a total of 68 wolves and other canines, 10 of which are named after characters in Martin’s acclaimed series Game of Thrones (they’ve been aptly dubbed “The Westeros Pack”).

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One 13-year-old Game of Thrones fan was so eager to be killed by the author, he wrote in donating £153 ($235) in hopes that a character named Jack could meet the same fate as his beloved heroes. Moved by the boy’s donation, Martin then donated $10,000 in his name to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust, but told him that it wouldn’t be fair to the people who had already won the coveted death prize.

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But Martin’s wolf-related charity doings don’t end with the Wild Spirit Sanctuary. He recently contributed $2.7 million to back an ambitious project by Santa Fe art collective Meow Wolf, a group specializing in “massive, immersive art experiences.” All this generosity is proof that Martin can bring tears to your eyes in ways other than just describing your favorite character’s demise. 

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If you want to join the Martins in supporting Wild Spirit, for just $10 you can get an adoption certificate of any of the Westeros Pack signed by the author himself! A $100 donation gets you all ten, including Lady, Nymeria, Shaggydog, Summer, and Ghost.

Image Source: wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org