Last week, a Pennsylvania woman rescued what she thought was her neighbor’s dog. Christina Eyth had spotted the animal outside in the snow, but when she got closer, she could see that it was definitely not her neighbor’s pet.
Regardless, she knew that the animal needed help, so she brought him into her basement to warm up. But did Eyth bring a dog into her home or a coyote? Even wildlife experts are stumped.
Comments on the photo were mixed. Some people noticed the yellow eyes and claimed it was proof that the creature is a coyote. Other people said their own dogs have yellow eyes as proof that the animal is a dog. The canine’s true identity remains a mystery…for now.
He has been taken in by Wildlife Works-Mount Pleasant, and a DNA sample was collected to determine if he is a dog or a coyote. But it takes time to get the results.
In the meantime, the mystery creature is receiving care for his mange. On January 24, the wildlife agency updated Facebook followers:
We are overwhelmed and thankful for all the love and support this guy is getting! Thank you to every one that has donated and shared his story. We did not expect his story to get as big as it did but we are thankful for the awareness it has given to wildlife rehabilitation.
With that being said we are still waiting for the results of the DNA sample to come in.
The pup is more alert now and though he is not aggressive, he is described as being on the “defensive side.” The animal was scanned for a microchip, but none were found.
Comments on the most recent wildlife agency posting seem to lean towards a coyote with bad mange – but every person is grateful that the animal is safe and receiving care. The wildlife group promised to let the public know what the DNA results are as soon as they come back.
Please be patient with us as we wait for the results with you. We will share the results with everyone as soon as we get them!
Keep track of the “mystery” animal’s progress at this link to the Wildlife Works Facebook page.
It’s a dog, we had one that never got better despite specialty vet care. Very sweet boy and died at 3 y.o. This “mystery animal” stuff all over the internet is click bait!
No it’s not. And after a week it got to feeling better and just escaped! And because of it’s behavior I bet it is a coyote. https://www.facebook.com/mbarron.wildliferehabber/
Oh thank God for animal rescues!!!
Update it got away!!! It destroyed the cage and gone! Hopefully the week there was enough for him to finish healing but they are hoping he/she comes back looking for food.
https://www.facebook.com/mbarron.wildliferehabber/
Its a coyote dog with mange – they need to catch it again so it gets treated!!!
This is a little coyote dog who has mange – I hope the dog is caught again so its mange can be treated!!