Orphaned Coyote Puppies
Still puzzled over our inability to control the mange, the smallest female (the miracle puppy) started becoming weak and her joints began to swell. The two larger pups began picking on her and literally ran over her while running circles in the pen. A blood test on this smallest girl returned positive for Lyme disease. After several runs of antibiotics, the girl responded and was once again running with her littermates.
Caring for the litter in winter was easy enough. The fortified enclosure held up quite nicely and the pups’ weekly diet consisted of one whole deer, several rabbits and a half-bucket of rats. Live prey lasted a little under one minute as the pups’ killer instinct came to the surface.
Once again things were on track until the dreaded mange returned, first in our smallest girl, then to the others. The coming of winter made battling the mange quickly even more critical, but as soon as the pups would re-grow coat, the mange would return. I knew what the answer was, but I was hesitant to face the truth. The little miracle pup’s immune system was compromised by the Lyme disease; she became a reservoir for the mites that would then infect the other two.
I am not usually a victim of sentimental thinking, but I had a difficult time facing the fact that the best chance for the two healthy pups would be to euthanize the smallest girl. Surely she was “meant” to live. 
She had already survived being orphaned, a night on the mountain in the cold, being taloned by a Red Tailed Hawk, being dropped from thirty or more feet and Lyme disease. She was a survivor and I blamed myself for not being able to bring her past the last gauntlet leading to her release.
The decision could no longer be ignored when, during the most frigid days of late January, the mange returned with a vengeance–leaving bare patches of skin and open sores on all three coyotes. Adding to that, the smallest girl developed a limp as the Lyme disease recurred. Even if she survived, she could never be free. Each coyote was netted (for they were extremely wild and not able to be handled by this time), the healthy pair was again treated for mange, and the smallest girl was returned to her Creator.
By the end of March two treatments eradicated the mange, and it did not returned. The coyote pair was fully grown, fully furred, and wild as can be. An April release was planned at an undisclosed location where road-killed deer will be provided for a time until they learn to fend for themselves.
A now-retired Veterinarian whom I have known and respected for all of my adult life once gave me this sage advice which I live by: “If you are going to make a mistake, err on the side of life.” In the end I learned a bitter lesson on sentimentality, but I feel strongly that, throughout, I made the right decisions.
March 18th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
What a great story. Although you had a tough decision to make, you can tell it was the right one. The surviving pups are beautiful. I especially enjoyed the video. You were right. Their agility is amazing. Thanks for what you do.
June 3rd, 2007 at 10:37 am
This is beautiful story and even though it had a sad ending for the little girl, nature took care of the two other ones. Your persistence and love is truly admired. The pictures are beautiful and May Mother Nature bless you…
October 4th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I think it’s great that you guys help so many animals in need. I really appreciate it and alot of other people do to.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I came across your article and site by chance, and found it very interesting. I am doing some coyote research for a piece of fiction and have a question you might be able to answer: If orphaned pups were brought to an adult female, say one in a rehab/research center, would the female be able/interested in “mothering” them, and could she physically be induced to nurse the young?
May 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
In reply to Darcy Maloney:
You couldn’t do that unless the mother was lactating which is only after it has had its own babies feeding from it or she has been milked within 72 hours, and she would have a more likely chance of accepting the new babies if she had none of her own due to a miscarriage or some other fatal accident to her own pups. Sometimes a female’s body can be tricked into thinking it’s pregnant to the point where its lactating, and never seing its own pups it almost always accepts its new adopted young.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I really am happy that you are helping the animals. I would love to help them but it is so sad. I am an aimal lover.
April 25th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Those puppies are cute! I love how you help the animals. Ummm. Peggy did you have to put jamaca to sleep, also can you keep the bald eagle?
April 25th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Akira,
We’re not sure about the eagle yet. Jamaica is beginning to do much better and I think she’ll make a great education bird.
Peggy
July 12th, 2009 at 5:26 am
I don’t usually comment on blog posts… but this was a good post.. keep up the good work
October 16th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
This story was so very touching. You are heros to those coyotes. Every animal serves a purpose and though the story brough a few tears, the ending was happy. You are wonderful people to help innocent abandoned animals. God bless.