If you've ever rescued a dog, then you know how rewarding an experience it is.
In fact, even just helping an animal in need can make you form an attachment, as we saw with the UPS driver who adopted a pooch on her route.
So when Sharon Bertozzi of Folsom, California, found a sick dog hiding near her front door in 2016, you can understand her desire to help the creature.
The skinny canine was curled up and clearly in distress. Dogs don't just hide themselves on stranger's porches unless something is wrong.
Following protocol, Sharon called animal rescue to come collect the dog and give her the care she desperately needed.
According to City of Folsom Animal Services' Facebook post, it wasn't until four hours later that anyone realized that the sick, elderly "dog" wasn't actually a dog at all.
It all started when Sharon Bertozzi found a sickly animal curled up on her front porch.
She could tell that the animal was in distress and immediately jumped into action, calling City of Folsom Animal Services to the scene.
When rescue workers arrived, they scooped the pup up for more care. However, they ended up posting to Facebook when they discovered she wasn't actually a dog at all.
It's no wonder Sharon initially thought that this little coyote was an elderly dog.
She was in a weak state and her long coyote limbs made her look like an old dog in its last days.
Sharon wasn't the only one who was a little confused by the dog.
The rescuers wrote online, "At first this was thought to be an old very sick dog. Upon taking a better look, it is really a young coyote with a really bad case of mange."
They continued: "She was muzzled (for safety) and given sub-q fluids and will be evaluated further. We will post updates as we receive them. We will call her 'Princess' and we wish her a successful recovery. "
Princess was moved to Gold Country Rescue to be treated for the malnourishment and serious mange that afflicted her when she was found.
According to WebMD, mange is canine scabies. It can cause dogs to lose their fur and develop sore scabs all over their bodies.
It's caused by tiny mites and needs to be treated immediately.
Since Princess is a wild animal, they had to muzzle her for safety.
This muzzle was fashioned out of soft gauze. It won't hurt the pup, and will discourage her from trying to chomp anyone.
Ending up in an animal rescue can be a stressful situation for a scared, confused wild animal.
Sharon, the woman who discovered Princess, was concerned about her new friend, though she was thankful that she was passed along to people who could take proper care of her.
After turning the pup over to experts, she kept an eye on Princess' progress. She commented online:
She was hiding behind a ceramic vase right next to my front door for about 4 hours before I finally realized she was a coyote. My heart just ached for her and I can’t thank you enough for taking care of her. Please keep us updated on her progress. She holds a very special place in our hearts!!
Luckily, Sierra Wildlife Rescue was able to nurse Princess back to health.
As you can see, she's gotten larger, grown her fur back, and is more than capable of moving around the way any wild animal should.
Volunteers were able to release Princess back into the wild in 2016.
Make sure to SHARE this story with your friends on Facebook!
