On a bitterly cold, snowy day in Pennsylvania last month, Christina Eyth noticed something unusual outside her home. Fresh tracks in the snow led straight up to her door — as if an animal had been searching for help.
“I saw dog prints going right up to my door,” Eyth told The Dodo. “It looked like he was trying to look inside.”
Concerned, Eyth followed the tracks as they continued around the house and stopped near her basement entrance. That’s when she spotted the animal responsible.
“He was just standing there, shivering,” she said. “He looked absolutely freezing.”
At first glance, it was hard to tell exactly what kind of animal he was. His fur was thin and patchy from what appeared to be mange, leaving his identity a mystery. Was he a stray dog? A coyote?
Despite her uncertainty, Eyth knew one thing for sure.
“I wasn’t positive what he was, but he never showed any aggression,” she said. “I just saw an animal who needed help.”
Using food, water and a warm place to rest, Eyth gently coaxed the frightened animal into her basement. Once he was safe, she reached out for help, posting about the situation on a local message board.
Before long, volunteers from Tj’s Rescue Hideaway arrived to assist. Like Eyth, they couldn’t be certain what species the animal was — but they treated him with care all the same.
“Maria and her team were able to safely catch him without hurting him,” Eyth said. “They transported him to Wildlife Works–Mount Pleasant so he could receive treatment and DNA testing to confirm what he was.”
While the results would take weeks, the rescuers focused on giving the animal medical care and compassion, regardless of whether he turned out to be a domestic dog or a wild animal.
Then came an unexpected twist.
Just days after arriving at the facility, the mystery animal managed to escape — and vanished back into the surrounding landscape.
Though he was gone, one final question remained unanswered. That is, until the DNA results came back.
The animal who’d been found trembling outside Eyth’s door was a coyote after all.
Now, he’s back in the wild where he belongs — a choice he clearly made for himself.
Still, Eyth has no regrets about helping him.
“No matter what the test results were,” she said, “I wouldn’t change a single thing I did to help him.”
