Studio City coyote with extremely swollen face euthanized

Wildlife veterinarians euthanized a coyote with a badly swollen face that was seen roaming through a Studio City neighborhood after determining it would not fully recover from its injuries. 

"Her strength carried her for as long as her body possibly could; in the end, our responsibility was to make certain that her courage did not require her to suffer any longer," Wildlife Care of Southern California, which has been treating the coyote, wrote in a Facebook post.   

"After consulting together and carefully considering her long-term welfare and quality of life, we collectively determined that keeping her alive under those circumstances would not be humane."

Wildlife Care SoCal said that part of the coyote's jaw was destroyed by a significant infection and two pellets that were lodged in its head, "indicating that she had been previously shot." The rescue facility said surgery and treatment could not repair the damage. 

"She would have required a soft-food diet for the remainder of her life," Wildlife Care SoCal wrote. "For a wild coyote, this would have meant that she could never return to the life and freedom she deserved, even in a captive setting. This is no life for a 3-year-old coyote."

Neighbors who tried to help the coyote, which they named Wendy, said the animal had been living with the infection for at least a year. 

"It is difficult to comprehend how much this young coyote endured over the course of the past year," Wildlife Care SoCal wrote. "This coyote's remarkable endurance is a powerful testament to a wild animal's will to survive, even while experiencing unimaginable pain."

Wildlife Care SoCal thanked the neighbors who cared for Wendy, the organizations that helped capture her and everyone who donated to the coyote's treatment.

"Your compassion allowed her to receive the evaluation she needed and gave us the opportunity to offer her the final kindness of a peaceful passing," Wildlife Care SoCal wrote.