A beloved coyote with a grotesque facial deformity that made her a local celebrity in a Southern California neighborhood has been euthanized after veterinarians discovered she had been shot.
Wildlife Care of Southern California announced Tuesday on social media that the young coyote, nicknamed “Wendy” by Studio City residents, was put down following a veterinary examination that revealed two pellets lodged in her head. The approximately 3-year-old animal had been spotted roaming the community for more than a year with a massive growth protruding from the left side of her face.
Diagnostic imaging showed that Wendy had apparently been shot at some point in the past, leaving the two pellets embedded in her skull. Over time, the resulting infection had ravaged her face, destroying the upper jawbone on the left side entirely.
By the time rescuers finally captured Wendy after weeks of tracking, veterinarians determined there was no realistic surgery or treatment that could restore normal function to her face. Even if she survived, she would have needed to eat soft food for the rest of her life, making a return to the wild impossible.
“Her strength carried her for as long as her body possibly could,” Wildlife Care of Southern California said in a Facebook post.
The organization said rescuers ultimately decided that keeping Wendy alive under those circumstances would only prolong her suffering.
During her final week in care, however, Wendy was reportedly comfortable, receiving medication and surrounded by people who had fought to save her.
Rescuers had initially hoped to capture Wendy, treat her injury and eventually return her to the wild. Instead, they learned the damage was far worse than they had feared.
Before she was captured, photos of Wendy showed the shocking mass spreading across the left side of her face, sparking a frenzy of concern among residents and animal lovers online. Some social media users responded with decidedly less sympathetic jokes, with one quipping that the coyote had been “beat up by an orange cat” and another suggesting she appeared to have been struck by an anvil.
But behind the viral images was a badly injured wild animal that had apparently been surviving with excruciating damage for months. Wildlife Care of Southern California said Wendy’s case demonstrated just how remarkably resilient wild animals can be.
Despite suffering a devastating gunshot injury, a severe infection and the loss of part of her jaw, Wendy continued searching for food and navigating life in the neighborhood.
Rescuers said they chose not to immediately release images from her examination because they did not want her final memory to be defined by the gruesome extent of her injuries. Instead, they remembered Wendy for her “fierce will to survive” and the wild spirit that inspired people throughout Studio City and far beyond.
“This is no life for a 3-year-old coyote,” the organization said.
While Wendy could not be saved, rescuers said the outpouring of support from residents, donors and volunteers gave her something she desperately needed in her final days — safety, medical care and freedom from pain.
“Godspeed little girl,” the organization wrote.
Southern California Pit Bull Rescue has posted that they are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for shooting Wendy.
