Threatened By Coyotes, A Town Comes Together To Rescue A Stray Dog Lost In The Desert For 9 Months
The pup is now thriving in a home that's loving, safe, and thankfully coyote-free.
anetapics / Shutterstock A stray dog near Tucson, Arizona is safe at last thanks to the valiant efforts of locals and neighbors. But his newfound safety has been hard-won after several harrowing months in the Tucson elements.
The community came together to rescue a stray dog named Ghost.
Ghost has found a home at last — well, a foster home, anyway. Tucson resident Desirae Trubee, co-founder of the Lost and Stray Response Squad in the city, was finally able to track Ghost down and give him a place to hang his canine hat with the help of her fellow neighbors.
It's a much-needed respite for the very good boy, who's had quite a harrowing life over the past several months — one that could very easily have resulted in his death.
The stray dog had been wandering the desert near Tucson for nine months, often threatened by coyotes.
Ghost was well known among the Eastside residents of Tucson, who would leave food and water out for him and frequently saw him trotting around the neighborhood.
But when neighbors spotted Ghost getting cornered by coyotes on more than one occasion, they knew they had to do something for him. That's where Trubee and her organization came in.
In a Facebook post, Trubee wrote that she and other neighbors had been trying to rescue Ghost since at least May of 2023. But his, shall we say, talent for doggy gymnastics made him difficult to get a hold of. "[H]e can climb and jump very high so he outsmarted our every move," she wrote.
But back in January, she received a phone call from a concerned neighbor who said that, after some cajoling, she was able to get Ghost in her car. And once he was there, he seemed to know that his long struggle was finally over.
“It was so beautiful to see his smiling face sitting in her car," Trubee told local ABC affiliate KGUN9. "He just surrendered. He knew he was safe, and I think he was very happy about it."
Ghost is now thriving in his foster home while waiting for his forever home.
Thankfully, Ghost is thriving despite his harrowing ordeal in the desert — including during the punishing summer months of 2023, which was the hottest on record in Tucson and broke several records for the number of days over 110 degrees.
Other than a bit of doggy dental work, Ghost was healthy as a horse and is now being fostered by Trubee and another neighbor who'd been helping to keep Ghost alive during his desert sojourn.
With the help of donations on GoFundMe, the neighbor has also been able to help Trubee build what she called a "fortified enclosure" that will allow him to live freely without leaping over the fence, as he's become so talented at doing.
While they wait to find Ghost a forever home, Trubee posted an update to let everyone know that Ghost is absolutely thriving. He's been to the vet, gotten his vaccinations and microchip, is slowly learning how to walk on a leash, "and is very accepting of love and affection!"
Trubee added a sincere thanks to all the locals in Eastside Tucson and the donors on GoFundMe who've helped save Ghost. "[We] can't thank you all enough for all the kindness and [empathy] you have shown him!" she wrote. "We look forward to having all his friends over for a play date when he is ready."
"Until then, he's settling in among the neighbors who took such good care of him for so many months in a home that's loving and safe — and thankfully coyote-free.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.