One regular day in California, Sharon Bertozzi found this sad-looking creature behind a vase on her doorstep. It was so skinny and sick that Sharon couldn’t even tell what it was at first. But with those dog-like features, she thought it might be a dog.
Knowing she couldn’t handle this alone, Sharon called up the City of Folsom Animal Services for backup. And when the animal service volunteers arrived, the creature had been staying in the same spot for four hours. Immediately, they did everything they could to help the poor animal. They gently persuaded the frail creature into their truck and transported it back to their facility for proper care and a closer look.
Guess what? It was not an elderly and sick dog, as the team initially believed.
“At first, this was thought to be an old, very sick dog,” the department shared on Facebook.
“Upon taking a better look, it is really a young coyote with a really bad case of mange. This one was taken because she was right by a front door to a house and was not wanting to leave.”
Yes, that was a young coyote dealing with a terrible condition. However, even after finding out what species the animal truly is, the shelter team still wanted to help her out and even gave her the name Princess.
Later, after a careful check, the shelter found out she had this skin disease from mites, making her lose hair and messing up her skin. And on top of that, she was seriously dehydrated. However, under the love and care of people at the shelter, Princess gradually felt better and was ready for her next journey to a place where she could feel at home.
Not long after the rescue, Princess went on her way to the Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR), a non-profit organization in California specializing in wildlife care, where she could receive a better environment. Here, they treated her skin disease, gave her a good bath to get rid of dead skin, and made sure she had everything she needed.
Over time, the situation was improving, and Princess could eat up all of her provided food and drinks. She even got to hang out with a couple of other coyotes in the shelter, which was good for her health and her social development.
Sallysue Stein, the head honcho at GCWR, was pretty sure Princess was on the mend.
“We feel confident that she is on the road to a full recovery,” said Sallysue. Moreover, it is promised that once Princess and her friends are fully recovered and are strong enough to adapt to wildlife, they will be released back into nature.
At the end, thanks to the combined efforts of Sharon, the City of Folsom Animal Services, and GCWR, Princess’s rescue and recovery were made possible.