White dog nicknamed ‘Ghost’ ran with pack of coyotes who raised him in Nevada desert
Animal lovers are rejoicing now that an elusive dog they believed was raised by coyotes has been rescued from the Nevada desert.
Now the people responsible for his rescue, however, are tied up in a legal fight over who will get custody of the dog.
Nicknamed “Ghost,” and also known as the Coyote Dog, he ran with his coyote pack and evaded capture for at least seven months, multiple news outlets reported.
People living in the Inspirada neighborhood in Henderson kept up with his travels using neighborhood social media groups, KVVU reported. Some even said he seemed to enjoy living among his coyote pack, the station reported.
But community members started worrying about his health and safety when he showed up with a severe limp in his step.
They enlisted the help of “independent trappers” from Las Vegas, according to an online fundraiser for Ghost’s medical care. Inspirada is about 15 miles south of Las Vegas.
“He was actually just running with them and eating with them, but then he started to limp, and we were afraid limping that the coyotes could turn on him,” Susan McMullen, a trapper with the Southern Nevada Trapping Team, told KVVU.
The team tracked Ghost for two weeks to determine where he hung out the most, and they were able to bait and trap him inside a crate, the station reported. Once they had him inside the crate, the trappers told the station he was friendly, and acted like any normal dog would.
“He’s the sweetest, most loving dog,” Timi Zondiros, McMullen’s trapping partner, told WSVN. “He comes up to you — he’s good in the car. He didn’t want anyone to catch him out there, but he does like people.”
Those who had followed Ghost and facilitated the rescue got to work trying to find a rescue organization that could take care of his many medical needs. He showed up in pretty rough shape from his months living in the desert, his rescuers wrote in the fundraiser post.
His face was scarred from fights in the wild, the trappers told WSVN. Veterinarians told them his ears and eyes were infected, he had skin issues and rashes, his scrotum was injured and would have to be removed, and he had a broken toe that would need amputation, they told the station.
Those caring for Ghost wrote that they hoped to get him all fixed up and adopted into a new forever home. But then came the legal snag.
In an update posted Monday, Feb. 6, the organizer of the fundraiser said the local Clark County shelter Animal Foundation had taken custody of Ghost. They added that the people responsible for his rescue now hope to return him to the Amor Peludo animal rescue, where he was previously receiving care.
Amor Peludo posted on Facebook, saying a supporter planned to hire a lawyer on their behalf.
Several people posted that they hoped the legal battle over Ghost’s care would not jeopardize what was best for the pup.
“I just hope that Ghost’s best interests are prioritized throughout this madness,” one fan wrote on Facebook.
This story was originally published February 6, 2023 at 7:31 PM with the headline "White dog nicknamed ‘Ghost’ ran with pack of coyotes who raised him in Nevada desert."
