Once a Nevada trail camera recorded a white dog running with coyotes, locals were not sure what to make of the scene.
The dog, who has been named Ghost, was apparently abandoned in the desert as a puppy, but a pack of coyotes welcomed him into their group for several months, CNN reported Sunday.
Neighbors in Henderson spent weeks watching footage from their security cameras to maybe catch a glimpse of the white dog. Some people wanted to approach the animal, however, that proved difficult because when anyone tried, Ghost vanished.
When the locals noticed the dog was limping, it caused fear the coyotes would turn on him. Therefore, rescue groups stepped up to try and remedy the situation.
Trappers from Las Vegas were called in to monitor Ghost’s movements for a few weeks, according to a GoFundMe page created for the beloved dog.
The group eventually trapped him and “It was immediately determined by the Trappers that Ghost was a sweetheart of a pup!” the page read, noting he was skin and bones at the time.
The trappers fed him from their hands which was a good sign for a dog that had been in the wild for some time.
“He also was very tolerant of the leash and once at the Trapper’s house, he would curl up in the dog bed that was in the crate, and roll over for belly rubs,” the fundraising page explained.
Donors raised $14,238 for Ghost’s medical care.
Following his rescue, the first visit to the veterinarian went well. However, he is suffering from bite marks, a broken toe that needs to be amputated, rocks in his stomach he ate when he was hungry, infection, a rash, and other problems.
“Any funds leftover will go to the Rescue that takes him in and we would like those extra funds to be used to go toward providing any training that the new adopters may choose to do with Ghost,” the page said.
According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, coyotes live in nearly all major cities. They have long been referred to as “song dogs” because of the noises they make when communicating.