Family Saves Trapped Coyote After 2-Week Connecticut Rescue

When Peter Cianelli's security camera picked up movement on his East Haven property last January, he couldn't believe what he saw: a coyote limping through the snow, a heavy steel trap clamped on its paw.

Most people would have looked away. The Cianelli family sprang into action instead.

What followed was a nearly two-week rescue mission that tested everyone's patience and heart. State wildlife officials tried three times to catch the frightened animal but came up empty each time.

The family borrowed a trap from animal control, but it was too small. Days turned into a week, and the coyote kept suffering in single-digit temperatures. Cianelli reached his breaking point and called a friend to put the animal down.

That's when his daughter burst through the door with one final idea. She contacted a friend at CT Dog Gone Recovery who brought a larger cage. They set it up on January 31st, baited it, and waited.

At 9:50 that night, the coyote finally walked inside.

Sunny's Take

With state officials hours away and temperatures plummeting, Cianelli posted on social media asking for blankets to keep the coyote warm. The response was so overwhelming he had to ask people to stop bringing them.

His wife fed the animal antibiotics mixed with food while they waited. Then she did something remarkable: she lay down outside the cage and just watched the coyote for over an hour.

"They just looked at each other," Cianelli recalled. "It was almost like he was saying 'Thank you for helping me.'"

State wildlife officials arrived at 12:45 a.m. on February 1st and released the coyote back into the wild. The injury to its paw was minor, and biologists confirmed it wouldn't affect the animal's ability to hunt, run, or live normally.

When they opened the cage door, the coyote hesitated. After everything it had been through, it didn't want to leave right away.

The family has spotted their furry friend several times since the release, still limping slightly but alive and free. What started as one family's compassion became a community effort that saved a life most people would have ignored.