Woman Rescues “Dog” That Turns Out To Be Wild Coyote
What would you do if you spotted a sick, injured, or otherwise helpless animal? We’d all like to think that we’d do the right thing, but sometimes fear or concern for our own safety makes us take pause. For some kindhearted individuals, however, that protective instinct comes without hesitation.
California resident Sharon Bertozzi falls into that category. When she saw a scared, sick dog curled up behind a ceramic vase on her front porch, she immediately sprung into action. That alone would have been special enough, but she was in for quite a surprise.
Sharon quickly called City of Folsom Animal Services to save the little animal, who was later named “Princess.” “My heart just ached for her,” Sharon said in an interview. Yet when rescuer Cindy Walden arrived on the scene, she realized that Princess was not a dog at all…
Princess was actually… a wild coyote! She was suffering from a particularly bad case of mange. “She had such soft eyes, that relayed the message of ‘help me if you can,’” Cindy said.
Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) took Princess to their shelter. The coyote was in pain and terribly itchy, but luckily, GCWR specializes in providing care and rehabilitation for a wide variety of orphaned animals.
Princess was recovering well after she was given plenty to drink and a nice bath. She was taken to Sierra Wildlife Rescue in Placerville, California once she was feeling well enough. There, she was able to interact with other coyotes just like her.
She even became friends with the two coyotes that she was placed with. Both were around Princess’s age.
Princess and her pals eventually became so healthy that they were able to be released back into the wild. Now, Princess is not only safe and healthy, but she’s back in the wild where she belongs. It wouldn’t have been possible, of course, if not for the kindness that Sharon showed her.
Thank you, Sharon!
(Photos courtesy of Sharon Bertozzi and City of Folsom Animal Services)
