A pet dog abandoned as a puppy and left to die in the Nevada desert was taken by a coyote pack for several months.
The white pooch had been seen by local residents since summer, traveling with coyotes as a member of their pack. NBC local affiliate station KVVU reported.
The unlikely friendship surprised locals who saw the dog, which they named “Ghost,” online for the past seven months, according to the outlet.
The ghost had been living among the coyotes since at least July — when the first reports of its proximity to the wild animals were shared on social media.
“It looks like he’s been kept there for between seven and eight months and somehow, the coyotes have accepted him,” Susan McMullen of the Southern Nevada Trapping Team told KVVU.
Nearby residents regularly saw the dog and coyote pack but were unable to reach Ghost, who would quickly run away.
However, the dog needed more human help than he realized.
McMillan said he had recently received word that he was injured.
“He was actually running with them and eating with them, but then he started limping, and we were afraid the coyotes were going to turn on him,” she said.
He and his partner Tammy Zonderos decide to intervene and save him before things get potentially ugly.
They spent days trying to find and capture Ghost until he finally walked into a trap they had set on Saturday night.
“When he got into that crate…. he just sat down. I think he was relieved, too,” Zonderos said.
They take Ghost in and are quickly surprised by his affection for people, despite spending most of his young life in the woods.
“He’s the sweetest, most loving dog… he comes up to you, he wants to be petted, he wants to be held,” Zonderos said.
The ghost’s face and body are scarred from past battles, and it has a broken leg that must be amputated. According to McMullen, he has also suffered from skin problems and ear infections.
Despite all the injuries, he hasn’t shown any signs of aggression since McMullen and Zonderos took him in.
“I’m sure he’s going to be the best dog because they’re the most grateful, rescuers… they feel it,” Zonderos said.
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