A heroic rescue mission was marred by a case of mistaken identity when an animal lover was informed by a vet that the “dog” she had just saved wasn’t even a dog. Andrea Athie, of Tamaulipas state in north-east Mexico, picked up the injured creature, only to be informed that she had in fact rescued a coyote.
Despite the fact that Andrea had accidentally ended up with a potentially dangerous animal, she claims that the coyote was incredibly passive. Having noticed what she believed was an injured, homeless dog struggling to walk with what looked like a broken leg, she pulled over to pick him up.
According to Andrea, the "dog" cuddled with his rescuer and even licked her as they were en route to the vet. It was only once the pair had arrived and the animal had been treated for injuries to its leg and hind paws that the vet informed Andrea that her new friend was not all he seemed.
This Incredible Footage Shows A Woman Rescuing A Burnt Koala From Australian Bushfires:Despite the revelation, Andrea was initially adamant that the coyote was really just a harmless pup. As she told local media outlets in the immediate aftermath, when she rescued it, she thought it looked a little unusual, but it never occurred to her that it could be a coyote. Although she was told it was potentially dangerous, Andrea insisted it was actually a dog, adding that it had been run over by a motorist who had not stopped to help.
Speaking to the media as the coyote was still receiving treatment, Andrea said she was surprised at how popular her story had become, and insisted that it was everyone's priority to return the animal to its natural habitat as quickly as possible.
It just goes to show, you should never judge a book by its cuddly cover.