Dogs picked up off the street aren’t always what they appear to be, and in some cases, even scientists can’t immediately determine what type of animal they are. Earlier this year, Christina Edit, a resident of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, saw footprints in the driveway outside her home.
The paw prints in the dirt looked like a dog’s, and the kind woman decided to see if a stray dog ​​needed help, as it was very cold outside. She followed the tracks and found an animal, which she thought was a dog, on a pile of firewood near her basement.
The dog was very cold and did not react in any way to the hostess. « She was so scared and frozen and shaking that I couldn’t leave her there, » Kristina later told reporters.
The kind woman opened the cellar door, spread a warm blanket in it, and put a bowl of food in it. Attracted by the delicious smell, the dog jumped out of bed, went to the basement, ate the treat, and fell asleep.
The woman continued to care for the dog for a few more days, and soon the animal regained its spirits. He was quite friendly and didn’t try to bite his owner. But Christine wondered if her guest was really a dog. He may have looked like a dog, but he still had an unusual appearance.
She then called the animal welfare organization Wildlife Works, but when they arrived, the owners of the animal could not determine if it was a dog. Some thought it was a coyote, while others were sure it was a dog.
Wildlife Works employee Morgan Barron, for example, described the animal as « very shy, very scared and not at all aggressive », leading him to believe it was a domestic dog. The unidentified dog was taken to a veterinarian, who was also unable to determine the species identity of the animal.
The animal was shown on television, but viewers were divided. A DNA test was to settle the dispute, but on the spot, it was only possible to determine that the animal was absolutely not a dog. A second test was sent to a Pittsburgh lab, where a month later the man was confirmed to be a coyote.
The coyote, mistaken for a dog, was later moved to a sanctuary in Mount Pleasant, where it now resides. After all, a coyote is a wild animal and is unlikely to enjoy the lifestyle of a domestic dog.
