“He was still very sweet and active.”
For months, people in Studio City, California, kept seeing the same coyote wandering through their neighborhood.
She was hard to miss.
The animal, later named Wendy, had a large swelling on her face that immediately made residents worry that something was seriously wrong.
Instead of ignoring her, people began watching out for her.
“She has made quite a few friends in the area, seen standing in the street or at people’s doors looking for help,” Wildlife Care of Southern California wrote on Facebook.
But helping Wendy turned out to be far more difficult than simply finding her.
For nearly a year, she successfully avoided every attempt to capture her.
East Valley Shelter, Southern California Pit Bull Rescue and concerned residents all became involved in the effort.
Then, in July, Wildlife Care of Southern California joined the rescue operation.
Despite Wendy’s alarming facial injury, her overall condition gave rescuers some reason for optimism.
“Her activity level and body condition are really good, all positive signs, but we will not know her prognosis until she is caught, examined and X-rayed by our vet,” the rescue wrote.
While rescuers worked on a plan, neighbors continued doing their part.
They made sure Wendy had food, watched where she traveled and regularly passed along new sightings.
Those updates helped the rescue team understand her routine and stay close to her movements.
Finally, near the end of August, their persistence paid off.
Wendy was safely captured and taken into the care of Wildlife Care of Southern California.
“It takes a village; We couldn’t have done it without them,” the organization wrote.
Once Wendy was secure, rescuers immediately started treating her discomfort.
She received antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication and pain relief before being settled into a quiet kennel with blankets and food.
After surviving outside with her injury for so long, she could finally rest without having to constantly stay alert.
Rescuers then learned an important detail about Wendy’s past.
Evidence suggested she had been hit by a vehicle more than a year earlier, with her face taking the impact.
That possibility was actually encouraging.
It raised hope that the swelling was related to an old injury rather than a tumor and that veterinarians might be able to treat the underlying problem.
Wendy is now scheduled for further veterinary examination and X-rays so her rescuers can better understand the extent of the damage and decide on the right treatment plan.
For the people who had spent months watching over her, simply knowing she was finally off the streets was already a huge relief.
Wendy may have avoided help for nearly a year, but the neighborhood around her never stopped trying.
Now, after so many failed attempts, she finally has a safe place to recover and a team dedicated to helping her heal.