Wild Paws was contacted about a coyote needing our help. We want you to join us in learning about her and following along in Daphne’s journey

Daphne, a young coyote, was found by someone as she was wandering in circles on the road. She is presumed blind, and it was thought that she may have been hit by a car. She was transferred to a wildlife rehab facility and they cared for Daphne as we finished her habitat.

We were informed that she had some physical issues, but did not realize the severity of her issues until she actually came to live onsite at Wild Paws. She has been with Wild Paws for approximately two months. Daphne is living in a new habitat we built with her specific requirements in mind, as she is either completely blind or at minimum, vision-impaired. She also has some serious neurological issues, which cause her to spin in circles. She does not do this all of the time, but it is sadly quite frequent. Since her arrival, we have been working closely with our Medical Director Dr. Noemi Plantz, and have been doing medical management to try and help her anxiety level. 

This has helped to reduce some of Daphne’s stress, but not to the extent that we had hoped. Daphne has unfortunately been increasing in her circling and her anxiety still seems pretty high most of the time. At this time we are closely monitoring her as we try to exhaust all reasonable options to improve her wellness level. Despite initial improvements, we have observed some regression.

Daphne is being monitored daily by animal care staff. This observation occurs by sitting with her, just outside of her habitat, as well as monitoring her through cameras. We are marking down her exhibited behaviors and making detailed notes about them and their causes. The data being collected is very valuable for the overall assessment of Daphne's situation.

While her basic needs are fulfilled, at Wild Paws we want to ensure the animals are flourishing. We value our residents' needs for both physical and mental health. As a result of our recent observations, we have implemented a new behavioral medicine. The plan to help manage Daphne’s situation includes defining what steps we would take should she not be improving to outlined measures. Unfortunately, this additional anxiety medication may be the last step in the efforts we are exhausting to help this sweet girl, and it will be weeks before we make any final decisions about her life at Wild Paws.

“Animal “well-being” is defined as “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy”. Regardless of the definition or term, it is important to recognize that welfare resides within the individual animal; it is not given to them. It is a measure of how the animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives—its feelings, behavior, and health. The animal’s welfare may be negative, neutral, or positive, and it varies from moment to moment. The aggregate balance of positive and negative states implies a quality of life and connotes a life worth living.” Interrupted Lives: Welfare Considerations in Wildlife Rehabilitation, Published online 2023 

As we try various forms of enrichment for her, we become somewhat hopeful when we see her engage with it, as this video shows. These are small victories but unfortunately, we are still unsure of what the future holds for Daphne. We are certainly hoping the new medication works and will keep you informed. As a special needs animal in our care, we will continue to educate on this difficult topic of a rescued animal's well-being and quality of life.

The world of wild animal rescue is not always easy. We have to make very difficult decisions and some mountains are harder to climb than others. In some instances, we cannot save them all, or even improve their life to what we feel they deserve, but we feel it is important to share all of sweet Daphne's journey with you.