Simi Valley, California – On Tuesday afternoon, the non-profit agency, Wildlife Care of Southern California, released a heartbreaking update about the so-called “Studio City” coyote who was recently captured. The coyote, also known as Wendy, had been cared for by residents in the Studio City community for a year before being captured and brought to the rehab facility.
On Tuesday, the agency said:
It is with profound sadness that Wildlife Care of Southern California shares that, following a thorough veterinary examination, our girl was humanely put to rest.
This morning’s sunshine felt like a quiet reminder of the peace and freedom she will now know.
Wendy had a severely swollen and deformed face which an exam revealed was the result of being shot twice with a pellet gun. The organization explained the difficult decision:
The extent of the infection was so significant over time that it had destroyed the upper jaw bone on the left side of her face; it was gone. The extent of the damage was so severe that there was no surgery or treatment capable of restoring normal function. She would have required a soft-food diet for the remainder of her life.
For a wild coyote, this would have meant that she could never return to the life and freedom she deserved, even in a captive setting. This is no life for a 3-year-old coyote.
And noted the tremendous will to live the coyote displayed during her time in the wild:
She survived devastating trauma, 2 pellets lodged in her head, and a relentless infection that gradually destroyed part of her jaw—yet she continued adapting, searching for food and fighting to remain alive. This coyote’s remarkable endurance is a powerful testament to a wild animal’s will to survive, even while experiencing unimaginable pain. Her strength carried her for as long as her body possibly could; in the end, our responsibility was to make certain that her courage did not require her to suffer any longer.
Wendy’s final days were spent in comfort. She was safe, receiving medication, and fed.
Rest easy Wendy.
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