YOUNGWOOD, Pa. (WJW) — An animal escaped from a rescue facility in Pennsylvania before the staff could even determine what, exactly, the little guy is.
The mange-covered pup was brought to Wildlife Works in Youngwood last week. The staff started treatment and collected DNA to find out whether he was a dog or a coyote. The results could take between two and four weeks.
Workers at the facility said he did not show signs of aggression and did little more than huddle in the corner of his cage for the week that he was in their care. That all changed Wednesday night.
On Thursday morning, a staff member arrived at the facility and found the cage empty and destroyed. The hospital area was trashed and there were scratches on the walls. According to Wildlife Works, the animal chewed through the window seal and screen to escape.
“He never acted aggressive or distressed, and there had been no evidence of escape attempts,” a member of Wildlife Works wrote on Facebook. “We had him for about a week, during which time he ate nutritious food and received treatment for his mange and secondary infections. We can only guess he was starting to feel somewhat better and decided it was time to go.”
Staff tried to track the animal, and will leave barn doors open to try to lure him back.
“Hopefully those of you who know Wildlife Works know this is NOT [our] standard of care, and will understand how devastated we are – not just for ourselves but for that poor creature out there in the cold again struggling to survive,” a staffer wrote in the Facebook message.
The message concluded by promising to update followers with any “new developments.” Wildlife Works had not posted any updates as of Saturday morning.