On a chilly, snowy day in Pennsylvania, Christina Eyth stepped outside her home and noticed something unusual: paw prints leading up to her door.
Unusual Scene
Worried by the distinctive prints, Christina decided to trace their origin. Following the paw prints, she found herself in front of her basement door, where an unexpected and heart-wrenching sight awaited her.
“I saw that there were dog prints that went up to my door like he was looking in for help,” said Christina.
Outside her basement door, she spotted a cold, shivering animal. “That’s when I saw this poor animal. He looked so cold and was shivering,” she recounted, unable to identify its species.
Mystery Animal
Despite her uncertainty about the creature’s appearance, Christina’s priority was to provide warmth and safety. She lured the animal into her basement, offering it food and water.
The animal seemed to be suffering from mange, which complicated Christina’s efforts to identify it. “I wasn’t completely sure, but he never showed signs of aggression. I just saw an animal in need of help and wanted to help him,” she explained.
Solving The Mystery
Christina decided to post about the mystery animal on her local message board, and she quickly received a message from a volunteer at Tj’s Rescue Hideaway, Pennsylvania. While they weren’t entirely sure of the animal’s identity, they recognized it needed assistance.
“Maria [the group’s organizer] and her team came out and were able to catch him without hurting him at all. [They] transported him to Wildlife Works-Mount Pleasant to get treatment and testing done to confirm what he is,” Christina noted.
Since the test results would take weeks, the rescuers provided medical care for the malnourished animal suffering from severe mange. They approached this scared creature with care to ensure it received the attention it desperately needed.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, the mystery animal managed to escape the facility just days after arriving, disappearing into the wild.
Eventually, the test results revealed the truth: the frightened animal was indeed a coyote, now back in its natural habitat. Christina remains unbothered by the outcome, confident in her decision to help: “No matter the results of the test, I wouldn’t have changed anything I did to help him,” she concluded.
