There’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing an animal in distress. Thankfully, there are kind people willing to dedicate their lives to saving these precious beings, sometimes even risking their safety to go the extra mile. In this story and the video below, a dog was seen floating in a river among the debris. His condition was hard to make out, especially since he had something caught on his head. He was too far out to grab. In order to reach him, rescuers needed to go by boat.

They knew time was the essence since the container disoriented the animal and prevented him from breathing properly. The rescuers got help from lifeguards and headed out. They paddled on a small raft towards the dog. The weather wasn’t cooperated which made their journey even more challenging.

With the storm looming around them, the compassionate humans approached the dog, but not everything was as it seemed. As the video states, “There was something different about this dog.”

Once the rescuers return with the animal and pull him out of the raft, they are soon in shock at ‘who’ they actually saved. They bring the animal onto shore, wrap him in a blanket, and then carry him over to their truck so they can remove the container from his body. Once he’s safe inside the vehicle, they discover the truth—this creature is not a dog at all!

The rescuers struggle to pry the container off, but it won’t budge. They head over to the San Diego Humane Society for further assistance. When the Humane Society staff began to remove the container, they could see ‘what’ was hiding beneath. The dog turned out to be a wild coyote!

The poor thing had cactus spines stuck in his fur and wounds covering his body. He lay there, allowing the techs to help. Soon, the coyote was stable enough to be transported to a wildlife center where he will continue his healing journey. When he’s ready, he will be released back into the wild.

Isn’t this rescue story incredible!? You’ve got to see it play out in the video below. You will be in awe. Wait until you see how stunning the coyote is once he’s free from the container. Thank you to all involved for saving this precious creature’s life.

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