Dog or coyote? Animal rescued in Fairfield Township perplexes volunteers

An animal that has perplexed rescuers is being cared for at a Mt. Pleasant Township wildlife rehabilitation center while waiting on DNA results to determine exactly what it is.

The four-legged, 37-pound creature is being treated for mange after a Fairfield woman spotted it last week, said Wildlife Works volunteer and licensed rehabilitator Morgan Barron. There is consternation: Is it a dog? Or maybe a coyote?

Regardless, the animal is recovering. Barron is optimistic, but the animal’s prognosis is guarded.

“Now that the medicine is kicking in, he’s definitely more defensive,” she said.

The rescue happened Jan. 17 at the Fairfield home of Christina Eyth, who said she noticed animal footprints in the snow outside. She followed them in case the prints belonged to a neighbor’s dog in the rural area of Westmoreland County.

The path led underneath her porch and when Eyth used a basement door to access it, she found a shivering animal that appeared to look like a dog. She was able to call it into the basement and consulted social media for input on what it was and what she should do next.

“He never showed any signs of aggression,” she said.

TJ’s Rescue Hideaway captured the animal in her basement and took it to Barron in hopes that she would be able to identify it.

“Unfortunately, mange is a condition that makes it difficult,” Barron said.

Mange is a contagious skin disease caused by mites that can result in hair thinning or loss, scabbing, thickened skin and itchiness.

Barron made a deal with the TJ’s rescuers — if the DNA results show it’s a coyote, she will keep it. If the animal turns out to be a dog, TJ’s Rescue Hideaway will resume control, Barron said.

There is a possibility it is a cross between the two, but Barron said that is unlikely. Results are expected in the next couple of weeks.

For now, she is limiting human exposure to the creature but visiting it multiple times daily to feed it, clean its cage and provide medicine. She has been giving updates to Eyth and social media followers, many of whom anxiously await the DNA results.

If the animal is a coyote, Barron said she hopes to eventually release it back into the wild once it recovers.

Eyth and Barron said they are grateful for the donations that have been directed to Youngwood-based Wildlife Works and TJ’s Rescue Hideaway in Greensburg as a result, as well as the awareness the creature has brought about the role such organizations play in rescuing animals.

“The work that they do is really amazing,” Eyth said. “It was a team effort. This rescue wouldn’t have been possible without the two groups involved.”

For information on how to donate to the two organizations, visit wildlifeworksinc.org and tjsrescuehideaway.com.