A Coyote With a Swollen Face Needed Help. An Entire Community Refused to Give Up on Her

September 5, 2026

For nearly a year, a coyote with an extremely swollen face wandered through a Southern California neighborhood, and the people who saw her couldn’t simply look the other way.

They named her Wendy.

Wildlife Care of Southern California

When Barbara Perrin’s son spotted the coyote in Studio City recently, he called his mom because he knew she would want to help.

Perrin, who usually rescues cats and dogs through the nonprofit Saving Grace LA, soon discovered that Wendy had been living with her mysterious facial swelling for about a year.

Neighbors had been watching out for her and trying to make her life a little easier. One newspaper delivery boy would even text Perrin pictures of Wendy and leave water and small scraps of food for her.

“People really cared about her, which was amazing to see,” Perrin said.

As Perrin began sharing Wendy’s story on social media, she connected with Wildlife Care of Southern California. Southern California Pitbull Rescue also joined the effort, providing cameras at locations where Wendy had been spotted so rescuers could keep track of her movements.

After weeks of people working together, Wendy was finally rescued this week.

She is now receiving care at Wildlife Care of Southern California, where she has been given antibiotics, medicine, food and a comfortable place to rest.

The cause of her swollen face is still unknown. Some neighbors believe she may have been hit by a car, while Perrin suspects she could have been suffering from a serious infection.

Whatever happened to Wendy, one thing is clear: she had a lot of people rooting for her.

The community has donated thousands of dollars toward her medical care, showing just how much this little wild animal had come to mean to the people who encountered her.

“I think Wendy is a testament to so many people caring and wanting to help and reaching out,” Perrin said.

And that's perhaps the most beautiful part of Wendy's story.

She was a wild animal living on the streets, but when people saw that she was suffering, they cared. They shared her pictures. They brought her water. They followed her movements. They contacted rescuers. They donated money.

They didn't have to do any of it.

They simply saw an animal in need and decided she mattered.

Now, Wendy finally has a chance to heal.