San Diego man accidentally rescues coyote puppy

A San Diego accidentally rescued a coyote puppy not long ago.

A San Diego man taking his dog for a walk rescued a coyote puppy by mistake a few weeks ago.

He spotted the newborn creature in a canyon in the Tierrasanta area, which had apparently been abandoned, and couldn’t let it die out in the open.

Dog O’Day learned of this news through People Magazine.

The man, who was not identified in the People story, brought the puppy home and contacted the San Diego Humane Society, who picked up the tiny canine.

The SDHS then realized, on closer examination, that this wasn’t a dog puppy at all, but a coyote puppy. They then took the critter to Project Wildlife, a specialty branch of the Humane Society that cares for a variety of wild animals.

“Our veterinarians gave the pup a medical exam and some formula,” Dariel Walker of the SDHS told People. “We believe the pup was only a few days old, and its eyes had not yet opened.”

After about a day, the coyote puppy was transferred from San Diego to The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center, which is located in nearby Ramona and specializes in taking care of ill or injured wild animals, particularly birds of prey, small wild cats and coyotes.

Walker told People that, generally speaking, small wild animals should be left alone if they seem abandoned, because their mother is likely away hunting food for her children. This also applies to wolves, mountain lions, and really any wild creature.

Coyotes are unique because of their ability to adjust to population demand depending on available resources, according to a recent article from the magazine Oklahoma Living . They also play a valuable role in managing the population of the natural ecosystem, especially in areas with a feral hog problem.

The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center will probably release the coyote puppy back into the wild, but when that will take place is unclear at this time.