The Brief

Firefighters rescued an exhausted coyote pup from a Southwest Florida canal on Monday morning after initially receiving reports of a dog in trouble.

A local kayaker assisted Cape Coral first responders by tracking the animal on Britannia Lake before crews pulled it safely from under a dock.

The coyote was taken to East West Veterinary Care Center, which will coordinate moving it to CROW – Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. for rehabilitation.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – A coyote in Southwest Florida is back on dry land after being rescued from a canal on Monday morning.

Cape Coral canal rescue

What we know

First responders with Cape Coral Fire Rescue responded to a report of a dog in a canal on Britannia Lake.

It swam from shore to shore as firefighters tried to rescue it.

Denae Judd offered to help from her kayak.

She monitored its location and let the crew know it had crawled up under a dock.

Firefighters entered the water and pulled what turned out to be a coyote pup from the space.

<div>A Cape Coral first responder carefully lifts a wet coyote pup out of a Southwest Florida canal during a water rescue on Monday morning. Image is courtesy of Cape Coral Fire Rescue.</div>

A Cape Coral first responder carefully lifts a wet coyote pup out of a Southwest Florida canal during a water rescue on Monday morning. Image is courtesy of Cape Coral Fire Rescue.

Wildlife rehabilitation efforts

Dig deeper

Crews said the animal was exhausted and unable to be released.

They took it to East West Veterinary Care Center, which will coordinate moving it to CROW – Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc. for rehabilitation.

Southwest Florida animal care

What we don’t know

Officials have not yet confirmed the current medical condition of the pup or how long its recovery will take. It is also unknown how the young coyote initially ended up trapped inside the canal.

Community recognition award

What they’re saying

Cape Coral Fire Rescue praised the joint operation in a social media post, stating, “This save was a great team effort!” The department also presented Judd with a Community Recognition coin to honor her vital assistance during the water rescue.

The Source

This article was written with information from Cape Coral Fire Rescue, which detailed the events and explained where the coyote was taken after being rescued.