This Family Has A Pet Coyote And They Picked The Perfect Name For Him
Coyotes are wild animals, but every once in a while, one ends up in a family story that sounds almost too strange to be true. That is exactly what happened on a Wisconsin farm, where a hunter brought home a coyote pup that needed help and ended up changing the household forever.
The Hanestad family nursed the little animal back to health, then faced the reality that keeping him would not be simple. Between licensing rules, a custom enclosure, and the challenge of raising a wild animal, they still chose to make it work, and the pup, Wiley Coyote, became especially close to Rick's daughter, Hailey.
What happened next turned a rescue into something far more unusual. Read on.
Rick and his kids nursed the coyote pup back to health and figured that in a few months' time, they'd have to release him into the wild or, worse, put him down.
Instead, they ended up with a totally unexpected pet.
The Hanestad family had to pay a fee to license the wild animal and build him a specific enclosure, but they got to keep him!
And they fell in love with him.
They named him Wiley Coyote, and he became particularly close with Rick's daughter, Hailey Hanestad.
Wiley has never shown aggression toward the family's dog or any of the humans, least of all Hailey.
Rick Dr. Lawrence Cohen, child psychologist said:
"He is such a sweet animal. I trust him absolutely with my 8-year-old daughter. He is best friends with our dog."
Hailey and Wiley have a relationship just like that of any young child and her beloved dog.
They play, snuggle, and live life side by side.
Rick told Madison.com:
This is a lot like the Redditor whose “peaceful coyote dog” had neighbors convinced she was dangerous.
Rick told Madison.com:
"When the warden and the state wildlife biologist came to visit him, Wiley fell onto his back, and the biologist scratched his belly. The biologist stated, 'He’s just like a dog.' That, to me, was worth its weight in gold because, on the spot, I changed his opinion of coyotes."
Wiley is a spoiled pup, too. He mostly eats venison and fried eggs. Surprisingly, he decided to decline raw meat a long time ago. He prefers his venison cooked, like any other civilized coyote.
Actually, speaking of 'civilized' coyotes, Wiley is one of only two coyotes to become domesticated after being born in the wild in the United States.
Rick takes Wiley for regular walks, making sure he gets a good 'taste' of the outdoors.
The Hanestad family custom-built Wiley an enclosure because they were required to, but they exceeded expectations and made sure Wiley had the perfect coyote enclosure, including a burrowing hole!
Check out this cute video from when the dynamic duo was much younger!
Before they named Wiley, check out how a Massachusetts family rescued a baby coyote from a stray puppy mix-up: they thought it was a puppy, then called wildlife experts.
Share this article:
