You’ve heard about women who run with the wolves, but have you heard about dogs who run with coyotes? One such pup, named Ghost, is finally safe and sound in Henderson, Nevada, after spending months in the desert hanging out with a pack of coyotes.
Dog Rescued From Pack of Coyotes
According to Fox 5 in Las Vegas, the all-white canine was likely abandoned in the desert when he was a puppy. A pack of coyotes took Ghost into the fold, and under their wing (err…fur), and he’s been running with the wild animals ever since. The unusual gang was occasionally spotted on the outskirts of Henderson and around the Inspirada neighborhood.
“It seems like he may have been put out there between seven and eight months and somehow or another, the coyotes just accepted him,” Susan McMullen of the Southern Nevada Trapping Team told the news outlet of Ghost’s past.
Ghost began to appear on residents’ social media accounts in July 2022. Neighbors even started mapping Ghost’s movements. Whenever the pup was spotted, people would try to approach him, but, true to his name, Ghost would vanish.
When McMullen gleaned that Ghost might be injured, she, along with her partner Timi Zondiros, decided to launch a rescue effort so Ghost could get the medical care he needed.
“He was actually just running with them and eating with them, but then he started to limp,” McMullen said. She was worried that the limping would make the coyotes turn on Ghost. The couple searched the desert and nearby homes for days in search of the wounded fur baby.
“We were very nervous about where he was, how he was,” Zondiros said.
Finally, last week, Ghost appeared, tempted by food in a crate.
“When he got into that crate…. He just sat down. I think he was also relieved,” Zondiros said.
“It is just that adrenal and excitement and relief… it was just a relief to get him out of there,” McMullen added.
A Long Road to Recovery
Despite his feral upbringing, Ghost is surprisingly well-socialized and friendly, and shows no signs of aggression.
“He is the sweetest most loving dog… he comes up to you he wants to be petted, he wants to be held,” Zondiros said.
While Ghost might not have any emotional scars from his time roaming the desert with coyotes, he does, unfortunately, suffer from several physical ailments. He bears fighting scars on his body and face. He has skin issues, an eye infection, and an ear infection. He has a broken toe in need of amputation and his scrotum is slated for removal.
“He’s got some rocks in his belly because he was probably hungry and ate some rocks, so we are just going to watch those and hopefully those will pass so we don’t have to have yet another surgery,” McMullen said.
In addition to Ghost’s health challenges, he does have some behavioral hurdles to overcome as well. He is not leash-trained or crate-trained. He has trouble sleeping at night and tends to pant and pace.
“We would like for him to be adopted in a loving home where he is going to have a bed, a couch, people to hold him… I believe he is going to be the best dog because they are the most grateful, the ones that are rescued… they feel it,” Zondiros said.
Those who would like to help Ghost on his rehabilitation journey can visit his GoFundMe page and make a donation to help pay for his medical bills, which currently top $4,000.
