If an adorable dog named Wiley could speak, he would have some incredible stories to tell. Why? Because this domesticated dog lived with a wild pack of coyotes for over a year.

Wiley’s exciting life didn’t start out living with the wild dogs; it’s assumed that he must have run away or gotten lost and made his way into the woods where he met the wild pack. Wiley was first spotted around 18-months ago near Kingston, New York.

“He was being sighted constantly, playing with them, running with them,” Nicole Asher, founder of Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery (BDRR), told The Dodo.

“How he integrated with them we don’t know; we have no idea,” Asher said. “But it’s not unheard of. There are coy-dogs out there, coyote-dog hybrids that happen when dogs and coyotes mate. But it’s rarely seen in person — you know, dogs hanging with coyotes.”

Asher received a call about Wiley, and although it didn’t appear that the 2-year-old dog was in any harm, they knew he’d be better off in a loving, safe home.

The first call to Asher came from Sarah Nace, of Lost Pets of Hudson Valley (LPHV). Another big concern that Asher had was that the sweet dog might actually belong to someone. She needed to rescue him to see if he was microchipped or had a worried owner somewhere nearby.

“The first thing we needed to do was get the dog constantly coming back to a certain spot,” Asher said. “We set up a feeding station monitored by a trail camera.”

Using trail cameras and a feeding station, it wasn’t long until both the coyotes and Wiley were spotted. Asher set Wiley’s trap after only two days.

“It was only two nights,” she said. “He was a fairly easy trapping.”

It was obvious that Wiley was interested in the food, but when the rescuers were able to get a closer look at the dog, they realized he needed so much more than food. The precious pup was also covered in ticks from head to toe. Asher rushed Wiley to Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (RBARI) for an exam and a much-needed comfy nap.

“Tonight he is curled up in a warm bed for the first time in a very long time,” Asher wrote just after his rescue.

After some medical attention, rescuers found that Wiley was not microchipped. They looked for lost dog reports in the area that matched his description but didn’t have any luck.

“We don’t know if he’s someone’s lost pet,” Asher said. “We’ve been scouring the internet, calling the local authorities. There’ve been no reports of lost dogs fitting his description. We think he was either a stray or dumped.”

“I think he’s going to be ready for adoption fairly quickly,” Asher said. “He’s a sweetheart.He was leaning on me, smooching on me. A lot of these rescue dogs are incredibly grateful.People think, ‘Oh my God, they’re gonna be wild.’ But it’s not the case at all.”

Since he’s been rescued, he’s been winning over the hearts of everyone that he meets.

“He is just loving all of the love and attention. He’s absolutely amazing,” Frannie Laurita, a volunteer at RBARI said. “He’s a big marshmallow. We love him so much.”

If you’d like to adopt Wiley or know someone that would be a great fit for him, you can fill out an adoption application here.

You can learn more about Wiley and his unique story in the video below. Could you imagine the adventures he’s had over the last year?

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Article Sources:

The Dodo

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By Ashley Fike

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Ashley Fike is a contributor at SBLY Media.