Campaigning for Change
“It’s dirty, it’s dark, there’s no lights, I feel anxious going in there”
“There were used needles on the floors, and rat droppings everywhere”
“The door wouldn’t lock properly”
“Massive cracks up to the ceiling, chunks of concrete were actually missing, claw marks everywhere – I even found someone’s teeth in the door frame”
“Exposed rebar was poking through the wall… I woke up the next day with cuts and scrapes from the metal”
“Snow had built up inside the building, it was freezing cold”
“The walls were so thin, the man next door was able to smash through when he changed… luckily I had control of my wolf,
and was able to pacify him. If I had been a new werewolf, or a kid… it could’ve turned into a major fight”
“A cat somehow managed to make its way into the building. It got into my room. I felt so bad afterwards, I cried for days. I’m a major animal lover and I felt like a monster”
These are all direct quotes from members of the public that Howline spoke to about their current provided changing areas.
Many existing places have been in use since the Second World War, and they show this age badly. Converted Anderson shelters,
hastily built concrete cellars, and 60’s brutalist blocks- the current places werewolves are expected to change are usually old,
and often lack basic amenities like lighting or heating. Multiple places Howline visited still had asbestos insulation, a major health risk.
Gaps in buildings let in cold draughts and wild animals, who frequently utilise the changing areas as shelter, leaving behind droppings and other mess.
Perhaps the worst of all is insecure buildings- doors that wouldn’t lock properly, walls that weren’t correctly reinforced, ceilings that were too low and too weak.
All of these create huge risks, both of uncontrolled wolves escaping, which can lead to clashes with the public and police service, and of wolves breaking into other people’s
changing areas, leading to wolf fights and injuries. There has already been several incidents across the country in recent years where uncontrolled wolves have escaped the changing area,
though fortunately none have resulted in any injuries or worse so far.
Howline wants to change this. Our latest campaign, Campaigning for Change, aims to bring about new legislation for werewolf changing areas and ensure a safe
standard is met and upheld. The original Provision of Lycanthropic Changing Areas Act came into existence almost a hundred years ago and has barely been updated since.
Through our efforts, there’s been an independent review commissioned, and a new bill drafted. We’re urging MPs and peers to push these desperately needed regulations
forward and ensure the new bill is truly beneficial to werewolves before it becomes an Act.
Add your voice to ours. Sign our petition to push the UK government to introduce updated laws about changing areas here,
or use our 5-question template to speak to your local MP.
Howline’s Guidelines
Howline has worked with werewolf experts, our own members, and members of the public to create a set of guidelines for the werewolf changing area.
Our current guidelines for a safe changing area are listed below:
SIZE
- At minimum, a changing room should be no less then 3 metres by 3 metres, with a 3 metre ceiling. This is to allow sufficient space to transform, stand, pace, and exhibit a full range of natural movement for even the largest wolves. Each room should be used for one person at a time- children may enter with their guardians if necessary. People should NEVER be made to share a room when changing.
MATERIALS
- Rooms should be made of concrete, steel, or masonry. Metal mesh is NOT recommended – neighbouring persons should not be able to see each other for privacy. If metal mesh is used, it should be covered by some kind of screening material that is not easily torn and does not pose a health hazard if ingested. Rooms should have smooth walls with no extruding objects or shapes. A double barrier system is recommended in case of failure. Ceilings should be as reinforced as walls are. Windows can be implemented if the opening is no wider then 30cm by 15cm, though glass used should be reinforced and ideally behind metal bars or metal mesh.
FLOORING
- Flooring should be concrete and non-slip, to prevent injuries. Carpets and wooden flooring is not recommended as these can be torn up and potentially ingested or cause injury. A drain should be implemented into the floor to allow ease of cleaning of rooms. Floors should be on a slight incline to ensure sufficient drainage.
LIGHTING
- Lights should be flush within the ceiling itself, with no protruding lip or edges that could be caught. Lights should sufficiently illuminate the room. Lighting should be controlled via an external light switch within the airlock system. Lights should not be glass and must be made of shatter-proof materials.
HEATING
- Rooms should have heating and maintain a steady temperature of at least 15°C or higher. There should be no radiators in rooms themselves – if radiators are present, they should be cast iron, and firmly secured to the wall and floor to prevent any risk of falling or being pulled out.
VENTILATION
- All rooms should be sufficiently ventilated but not draughty. We don’t recommend rooms venting into neighbouring rooms as this can cause distress to wolves when they smell strangers.
DOOR SYSTEM
- Doors should be built of reinforced materials and have secure locking systems, such as spring-loaded latches, sliding dead bolts, or cam locks. There should be a security airlock double-door system in place, with controls for the room (lighting, locks, heating if applicable) located within the airlock to prevent external tampering while the user is in the room. A safe and a shelf or unit should be present in the airlock as well, for users to place their clothing and other items and valuables. A system should be in place to indicate when a room is in use.
LOCATION
- Changing areas should be built away from heavily populated areas, but close enough to ensure accessibility for people who don’t have access to personal transport or those who have disabilities. Public transport services should be provided for access to the changing building, for example a dedicated bus service. There should be at least four rooms available on the ground floor of a building for access for disabled users.
HYGIENE
- Changing rooms should be checked after every use and cleaned once weekly, if not more. Amenities should be functional and checked monthly, and replaced if necessary. Any broken items should be removed immediately. Rooms with true structural damage should be closed to public use and repaired as quickly as possible. Aesthetic damage (claw marks, staining) is acceptable if it does not pose any risk. The entire building should be secured against pests, however, poisons must NOT be utilised as pest control due to risk of ingestion by wolves.
FIRE SAFETY
- The entire building must comply to current fire codes. Door locks should unlock automatically in case of fire. Fire alarms must be present throughout the building and all fire exits
must be clearly marked.
ENRICHMENT
- Howline recommends providing some form of enrichment within the changing rooms themselves. Large logs are a good form of enrichment for wolves, allowing scratching and tearing behaviours. We do not recommend providing meat or carcasses for public use, and users should be discouraged from bringing any kind of large meat or carcasses with them due to hygiene concerns. Users should be allowed to bring their own enrichment if it is not biological, however please encourage them to take it home once they are done using the area.
The Basic Guide for the New Werewolf
So, you’ve been bitten by a werewolf and developed lycanthropy.
We would first like to acknowledge that a bite is often a deeply traumatic and upsetting event. We offer a 24/7 support line here, and have a list of mental health resources available here. Your doctor or medical providers should have also provided you with avenues to access support – they may even have have sent you to this charity. Your mental health matters, and we want you to have robust support structures and a healthy mindset for this complex change in your life.
“Werewolf”, “wolves”, and “people with lycanthropy” are all ways to refer to werewolves. You’ll see these terms used throughout this website, often interchangeably.
Wolf is most commonly used to refer to a werewolf who is in their canine shape.
Lycanthropy is the clinical term for being a werewolf. It originates from the Ancient Greek words “lykos” (wolf) and “anthropos” (man), and began being used to refer to werewolves in medical contexts in the 16th century.
While it’s still a commonly used term, at Howline we consider it to be a little formal and slightly alienating- it makes being a werewolf sound like a disease.
Therefore, we usually just refer to werewolves, as, well, werewolves! The word werewolf comes from the Old English term “werwulf”, combining “wer”, meaning “man”, with “wulf”, meaning “wolf”.
While werewolf means “man-wolf”, there are plenty of female werewolves too, though the condition is slightly more prevalent amongst men.
Being a werewolf is not a curse, nor is it a disease. It is a condition that can be safely and easily managed and may even bring a new aspect to your life. Werewolves are regular human beings who simply have something a little different about them. Werewolves are not a separate species to homo sapiens. We are people, just the same as everyone else!
What’s the most important things to know?
How do I register as a werewolf?
Registering as a werewolf is the first and very important step of being one. It’s highly likely that your doctor or medical team already placed you on the National Register of Lycanthropes when you received treatment for your bite. You can check your registry status online via the UK government's official website. If you aren’t sure you were registered, or aren’t registered, please visit your nearest post office to begin your application, or apply online. All werewolves in the UK must be registered. It is an offence to change in a public area without being on the National Register.
What’s the change and when does it happen?
As a new werewolf, you probably haven’t yet undergone the change. This is the biggest aspect of being a werewolf. For around 10% of the year (36 days, or 864 hours), every year, you must spend time in the shape of a wolf.
A very common misconception is that werewolves must change on the full moon. This isn’t actually required- a werewolf can change shape at any time, even during the day, but this takes a lot of practice and skill. The natural inclination to change peaks during the full moon for reasons that aren’t yet understood. This inclination led to many werewolves choosing to change during the full moon, to the point that it even became enshrined in law (the Provision of Lycanthropic Changing Areas Act stipulates that changing areas are required to be available for public use on the full moon, but has no such requirements on other days). Therefore, it’s become traditional for werewolves to transform under the light of the full moon.
The condition itself only requires you to be a wolf for roughly 10% of the year, and this 10% can be spread out in multiple instances (like changing every full moon), or spent all in one go (staying in your wolf shape for around 36 days straight).
You can however change more often then the required 36 days, though this takes a lot of training and practice. Some werewolves never learn to control their change at all, and that’s okay.
It’s possible to ignore the urge to change. You’ll feel very uncomfortable and irritable, but you will remain in your human form. This takes a bit of mental fortitude and discipline. However, it isn’t possible to not change shape at all in your life.
You cannot “resist” the change forever– it will happen irrespective of location, light exposure, or mental efforts. Trying to prevent yourself changing will only result in you being a wolf for an extended period of time when you do eventually change.
Does the change hurt?
Unfortunately, yes. Your bones, muscles, and organs are rapidly changing and growing at supernatural speeds. If you recall growing pains as a child, imagine those multiplied a hundredfold. Some people say that breaking a limb is less painful then the first transformation.
However, your body does compensate with a flood of adrenaline and strong hormonal responses. You will get a strong extremely intense burst of energy, a “rush” of heat into your muscles, a racing heart, rapid breathing, heightened senses, and experience a sort of detached, euphoric feeling. If you’ve ever had to use laughing gas before, it’s a little like that. You still feel the pain, but your mental state is altered enough to largely ignore it. Some people report feeling like they’re having a panic attack, others say it’s the greatest adrenaline rush they’ve ever had. Each person’s experience is unique. We will say that the change grows easier each time you do it, and you won’t remember most of it the next day.
You will usually transform back after 6-8 hours in your wolf form. If it’s been longer, we recommend trying to sleep- this usually instigates the transformation back to your human shape. If it has been longer then 12 hours and you still haven’t transformed back, don’t panic. Someone you know (family, friends or others) must contact the NISCC, who will come to check on you and assist you from there. If you haven’t got anyone to contact the NISCC, but you have transformed in a public changing area, someone will come to check the rooms and will contact the NISCC when they find you still in there. If you have transformed in a private changing area, and haven’t got anyone who knows where you are, please try howling as loudly as you can for as long as you can. Don’t panic. Just keep trying to alert someone of your presence.
Will I still be me?
Yes! You’re still you, whether you’re in human or wolf shape. However, in wolf shape your mind will be somewhat altered. It’s like being very drunk, or on drugs. Your behaviour may not reflect how you’d act while sober in human form. You will lose many inhibitions, meaning you may engage in risk-taking behaviours. You may become disorientated and lose the ability to focus or comprehend difficult things. Your ability to feel pain will be significantly reduced, while your other senses, particularly your sense of smell, will be bolstered. Your short-term memory will be affected, and you may remember things only in fragments or feelings.
It’s highly unlikely you will start attacking people on the street unless you already have the inclination towards doing that as a human. However, in wolf shape you are significantly larger, more powerful, and more resilient then you would be in your baseline human form. A simple action has much higher risk of causing harm to others or yourself, especially with the reduced inhibitions and judgment. You will also feel a much higher predator drive, which means you’ll be inclined to think of small animals as sources of food or fun, and have a higher drive to chase and kill them. For this reason it’s recommended for new and uncontrolled werewolves to spend their change inside dedicated changing facilities.
The more you transform, the better you’ll get at controlling yourself as a wolf, and with enough training and practice you will be just as mentally acute in your wolf form as you are in your human form. Not all werewolves are able to do this, as it takes a lot of skill.
One thing to note is that animals may become more wary of you post-bite. You will now smell different to them, and it may take a while for pets and livestock to feel comfortable around you again. We recommend gentle and slow exposure to pets, with gradual increase in the amount of time spent together, to ensure both you and your furry friend can reconnect as strongly as before.
What should I do to prepare for the change?
First, find your nearest provided changing area.
If you’d rather change in a privately owned area, please get it checked over first by either someone from Howline or an NISCC officer to ensure it is up to minimum safety standards. It is currently legal for you to change at home or in a privately owned space if you are a registered werewolf, however we HEAVILY recommend changing in a public changing area for your first few months until you gain better control of your wolf.
DO NOT attempt to restrain yourself in any way. Chains, straitjackets, ropes, handcuffs, or any other kind of restrain WILL NOT WORK and will cause injury to you or even death. Instead, contain yourself in a secure room with thick walls and a locking reinforced door (Howline’s guidelines for a proper changing area are detailed here).
Eat a big meal beforehand! You’ll need around twice as many calories daily as you would have needed before becoming a werewolf, and never more so then before transforming. We recommend eating a high-protein calorie-packed dinner a few hours before the sun sets.
Secure any pets or animals before leaving, or if transforming at home. You will likely not recognise your furry friends when in wolf shape. Leave all animals safely at home.
Do not bring anyone else with you unless they are also werewolves themselves. You can be accompanied to the changing area, but once the sun sets, all non-werewolves must leave the building. This is for their safety and yours!
Bring a blanket or two with you. You’ll need to undress before changing to avoid ruining your clothing, and it can be cold while you wait. Having a nice cosy blanket to wrap yourself in makes it all a bit easier.
Bring something entertaining, but not valuable. There’s a high chance you’ll break items you bring inside the changing area with you, so if you’re bringing something along to kill time until the change, we recommend it be something without too much value. Paperback books are a favourite amongst many werewolves, as are puzzles, fidget toys and doodle pads.
Last but not least, don’t fight the change! Just let it happen. Lie or sit down (we don’t recommend standing in case you fall) and let yourself change. Your body will know what to do. There has been no recorded cases of anyone dying during the change from the sole action of shapeshifting. It will hurt, but you will recover, and feel no worse for wear the next day.
Is there a cure for being a werewolf?
NO. There are NO CURES for being a werewolf. It is not a condition that needs curing. Being a werewolf is an ancient condition and just another aspect of the vast and varied human experience. IT IS NOT A DISEASE NOR A CURSE. Anyone selling fake “cures” is a liar and poses harm to werewolves. There has never been a cure for lycanthropy.
Will I turn other people?
It’s unlikely. Lycanthropy can be spread by bite inflicted by a person in their wolf form, but it’s not a guaranteed process – bites result in new werewolves about a quarter to a third of the time. It’s not known what causes the condition to spread or why it seems to be spread randomly. There is also an older and much rarer way of becoming a werewolf, where you are simply born with the condition to non-werewolf parents. Nobody knows what causes that either. People born a werewolf to non-werewolf parents can also spread the condition via bite, but their bites always result in the person affected becoming a werewolf.
We do not recommend biting others to try and spread the condition to them. Bites are extremely dangerous and pose many health risks, like blood loss, crushing and cutting injuries, and infections. Biting someone is assault and is considered Actual Bodily Harm (if done in human form) or Grievous Bodily Harm (if done in wolf form) under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
Scratching someone, sharing bodily fluids with someone, donating blood, and donating organs will not spread lycanthropy. You cannot become a werewolf through sex, blood transfusions, organ donations, scratching in either form, or biting in your human form. You cannot become a werewolf by consuming the hair of one either (seriously, that’s a strange thing to do).
However, being a werewolf is an inheritable condition. If you have children after becoming a werewolf, they have around a 25% chance of being werewolves themselves. Children born as werewolves are usually in greater control of their change as adults. Not every child born to a werewolf is going to be a werewolf, though. These children will not be carriers of the condition and can’t pass it on to their own children. (And as mentioned above, in very rare cases, werewolf children can be born to non-werewolf parents).
So to reiterate – the ONLY ways to create new werewolves is through biting someone else in wolf form, or having children after becoming a werewolf.
So I can still have children?
Yes, of course you can! Being a werewolf has no inherent affect on fertility or risk of birth conditions. However, if you’re a woman, we recommend consulting with your doctor before trying for a baby. Changing while pregnant can cause harm to the unborn child. It’s important to plan pregnancies around the 864 mandatory hours of change to reduce risk as much as possible. Many werewolf mothers aiming to get pregnant will spend the first month of the year in wolf shape to ensure they won’t feel the need to change while pregnant.
Babies will not transform inside the womb – that’s just a common myth. Children won’t change until they reach a year of age.
Being a male werewolf will not affect conception or pregnancy in any way.
Howline offers support for parents and people wanting to start families here.
What will I look like?
Like a werewolf!
Every werewolf looks different in their wolf shape, just as you do in your human shape. You will resemble your human shape in some way – your fur will match your hair, your eyes and skin colour will remain the same, and you’ll usually retain your body shape to a degree, though you will grow significantly taller and somewhat more muscular. Your default shape will be a humanoid body with a canine head and tail. You’ll still have five fingers and flat feet, and walk on two legs, though you’ll be able to walk on four legs comfortably since you’ll have a longer neck, allowing you to look forward easily when on all fours, and stronger wrists to support your body weight. You likely won’t have much fur, only on areas where you already have body hair such as your head, face, underarms, forearms, crotch, chest and legs. Some werewolves are very hirsute and have fur all over. Others are almost entirely furless! It depends on you and your body.
If you choose to practice and refine your abilities, it is possible to take on an entirely canine form. In this shape you’ll resemble nothing more then a giant wolf, though many retain human hands. You’ll feel most comfortable walking on all fours and have fur all over, and a long fluffy tail. However, being able to take full wolf form is difficult, and many werewolves never manage it.
It’s possible for those who spend a lot of time in their wolf form to look different in their human form. For some jobs, it’s preferred for werewolves to stay in wolf form while working; for example, certain roles in the Armed Forces, police service, or NISCC. For these people, they may find that in human form they have pointed ears, more dense body hair, sharper teeth, and even tails on rare occasions. However, for your average werewolf who only changes on the full moon, you will have no physical changes to your appearance as a human.
Do I have to change my lifestyle?
A little, but not much.
A common misconception is that werewolves have dietary restrictions like true canines, such as an inability to consume chocolate or coffee. This isn’t true! Your digestive system is pretty much the same as it ever was, although you will be able to digest raw meat much more efficiently then people who aren’t werewolves without getting sick. We don’t recommend consuming raw meat though.
What you will need to do is increase your total daily calorie intake, and especially your protein intake. Changing takes a lot of energy and you need to fuel your body through it. Red meats like beef, pork, lamb/mutton, veal, and venison are a great source of fuel for werewolves. Fish and chicken are also good sources of protein. You also now have the digestive ability to consume the entirety of bones, which contain marrow that’s packed full of healthy nutrients and iron, and the calcium from the bones themselves help your own bones! (Don’t eat chicken or other bird bones due to risk of internal perforations from sharp shards) Also, make sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and get your Five a Day in your diet.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan we recommend speaking to your doctor or consulting a professional nutritionist. You will likely need extra protein supplements. We suggest soy products, legumes, and lentils for plant-based protein sources.
Howline has a full suggested diet plan for new werewolves here.
If you’re a smoker, we do recommend that you stop smoking. Being a werewolf puts you at increased risk for cancer and you don’t want to make that worse.
You can continue to consume alcohol as a werewolf. You may find it takes more drinks to feel drunk and the feeling fades faster as your liver is now working at a faster and more efficient pace then before. We do not recommend drinking on the night of a full moon or before the change as your judgment will be impaired as it is by the change and you do not want to make that worse.
You will need to inform your employer that you are a werewolf. Under the Equality Act 2010, you are entitled to the nights of full moons off (7pm to 8am).
What will change about me?
Not much!
You’ll become somewhat physically fitter then you were before becoming a werewolf. You may find that you have more stamina, and are able to run for longer then you were able to previously. You may be able to lift more things of heavier weights and exert more strength when performing physical tasks. However, you won’t become an athlete overnight- these changes will usually only be somewhat above your previous baseline abilities.
Your senses will become sharper, and you’ll be able to notice many new smells and scents. This can be confusing and overwhelming at first, but you’ll learn to filter out the new sensory input with time. Your hearing will increase, and you may hear things you never noticed before, such as the whine of electricity in wires or the hiss of water in pipes. You’ll also get used to this too.
Your eyesight will not change – if you had a prescription before becoming a werewolf, it will remain the same. It is rare but possible that you may develop red-green colour-blindness, but this is an extremely rare side effect that many werewolves don’t get.
Your digestive system and diet will remain largely unchanged, although you will gain an increase in stomach acid strength that allows you to safely digest raw meat. This increased acid can cause reflex and gastric problems. Your bite force will increase to a degree, to around 200-285 PSI, which is more then the average human but not massively so. Some werewolves can reach up to 1000 PSI in human form, but that’s not the usual experience. In wolf form, your bite force will be around 400-600PSI, though it can be up to 1100PSI.
Talking of teeth, you’ll notice your teeth will be sharper then before. If you had missing teeth, you may find new growth in the sockets. We recommend regular dental check ups to ensure your teeth stay healthy. They will not fall out when you transform- they will instead remain within the back of your throat while your muzzle forms with new teeth. This means they can be damaged by what you consume in your wolf form, so we recommend thoroughly chewing bones before swallowing in your wolf form.
Your nails will also become slightly thicker and grow at a faster pace then before. Fun fact-werewolves don’t have true claws even in their wolf form, with even experienced werewolves who can take a fully lupine form still retaining humanoid hands.
Do I have new medical needs?
Yes and no. You won’t have any new conditions beside being a werewolf, but you may find lycanthropy exacerbates existing conditions, particularly mobility issues.
You will generally heal faster then you did previously. Your blood clots faster, so you stop bleeding quickly, and you’ll recover from injuries and exhaustion much faster then before.
However, you are at higher risk of heart attack, strokes, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolisms due to the increased clotting factor. You may need to go on blood thinners.
You are also at a higher risk of cancer. Due to the increased rate of healing, your overall risk of cancer of all types goes up. One in three werewolves are diagnosed with some form of cancer at some point in their lives, usually at a younger age then non-werewolves.
In your wolf form, you are immune to many forms of damage and will heal supernaturally fast from serious injuries. You will be able to survive wounds that you wouldn’t in human form, and you will likely recover with almost no lasting effects in human form. However, you are not immune to death. You can still be killed as a wolf, even if it takes longer then it would’ve before you became a werewolf. Please do not put yourself in dangerous situations, engage in fights, or try and attack others. You are not immortal.
I want to know more things which aren’t covered here
Howline understands that, which is why we offer comprehensive in-person classes at our many locations across the country. Click here to view our interactive map and find a location near you!
