Lyla came to us May 1st when my brother called me to tell me he had a surprise. He and his friend were riding their four wheelers in the woods, when they came across an abandoned baby coyote. Her eyes had not yet opened. Thinking it would be a cool thing to do, the boys brought the baby coyote home with them. Since I am an avid lover of animals, I immediately took interest and adopted her into my care. The boys’ apartment did not seem to be the best environment for a dependent, wild animal.

Two days after living in her new home, Lyla Rose opened her eyes. We fed her with a syringe for the first few days as she struggled at first to take a bottle. Shortly after, she accepted a miniature baby bottle and within three weeks had an appetite three times the size of her stomach. We referred to her as “the walking tennis ball” after her meals and taught her how to use a litter box. She loved to play and to curl up on an empty lap afterwards, and spent most of her nights curled up next to me in bed. She even found a spot on my pillow.

When my spring semester at Purdue ended, and I started working full time, Lyla began spending a lot of time at “grandmas.” I would wake up at 6 a.m. and feed her before getting in the shower. Then I would drop her off at mom’s house on the way to work. She made Lyla her own bedroom in our first floor half bath. Lyla Rose learned that this was her “den” and knew where to return to when she was finished eating or playing. Her first toys included a catnip filled mouse, a black sock, and anything else she could chew on.

Lyla-Rose 8 months http://www.coyoterescue.org/n-picts/c08-Lyla-4.jpg

At about five weeks, we knew we weren’t going to be able to take care of Lyla forever, and that she would not be able to be released back into the wild. After meeting CeAnn, my mom and I knew that she shared the same passion for animals that we did, and that Lyla would receive an abundance of love and the best care possible living at Indiana Coyote Rescue Center. Since adopting Lyla Rose, we are looking forward to watching her grow and hoping she’ll live to be twice as old as she might have in the wild, along with the peace of mind knowing she’ll be well taken care of the rest of her life.
By: Kendall Huffer and Betsy Montgomery

baby Lyla with Kendall http://www.coyoterescue.org/n-picts/c08-Lyla-1.jpg

Lyla gardening http://www.coyoterescue.org/n-picts/c08-Lyla-2.jpg

at ICRC http://www.coyoterescue.org/n-picts/c08-Lyla-3.jpg