The other day, the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) received a heart-stopping call from a Good Samaritan. The Southern California city had recently experienced unprecedented rainstorms, causing flooding throughout the area. In certain places, debris accumulated in the floodwaters, piling up with nowhere to go.
But in the Tijuana River Valley, someone found an animal struggling to survive beneath a sea of discarded trash.
“[O]ur Humane Law Enforcement team was called … in response to what appeared to be a dog floating with a bucket stuck on his head,” SDHS wrote in a Facebook post.
SDHS’ officers rushed to the river, where they found the helpless animal surrounded by garbage. With a plastic bucket covering his face, the team couldn’t identify the furry guy right away — but that didn’t stop them from doing everything they could to save him.
“Due to the difficult terrain, the only way to reach the animal was by boat,” SDHS wrote, “so San Diego lifeguards helped our Humane officers reach the animal!”
When they finally reached the animal, they were surprised to discover that he wasn’t who they thought he was.
“[He] turned out not to be a dog, but a coyote!” SDHS wrote.
The rescue team wrapped a towel around the coyote before gently lifting him out of the cold water. They loaded him into their van and then rushed him to their vet at the Bahde Wildlife Center. As soon as he arrived, the vet team jumped into action to alleviate his pain.
They soon sedated the little guy before carefully sliding the bucket off his head. After giving him a full checkup, they came up with a hopeful treatment plan for the coyote.
“He was wet, suffering from mild hypothermia, had cactus spines stuck in his fur and wounds that needed attention,” SDHS wrote. “We treated his wounds and gave him fluids and pain medication.”
The coyote still had a healing journey ahead, but, thankfully, his condition was treatable. When he was stable enough, the team transferred him to the Ramona Wildlife Center, where he could recover comfortably in his kennel.
Within a few days, the coyote’s health improved drastically. Soon, the resilient boy was strong enough to go back home.
The team at SDHS loaded the coyote into their van one last time and drove him to a safe wooded area. Within seconds of placing his crate on the ground, the coyote burst through its opening and darted into the woods.
You can watch that moment here:
The team watched with smiles on their faces as the little guy returned to the wild, where he belonged. While they wish he had never been trapped in a bucket in the first place, they couldn’t be happier to have witnessed his joyful homecoming.
“[H]e was released into his wild home, where he could run free once more!” SDHS wrote. “[He] has made a triumphant return to the wild.”
