World War II Veteran Saves Coyote

As we celebrate Veteran’s Day in the United States, I hope readers will enjoy this special story of an American soldier who had the strength and resolve to help a badly injured coyote.

Written By KatieMae Meloan of Colorado, USA

Gordon Tripp came home from service in WWII and married his sweetheart Barbara, and together they became the proprietors, host and hostess, of Glen Isle Resort. Gordon died a few years ago, and Barbara still operates this beautiful old resort. I am fortunate to have been a friend of Gordon’s, and he shared this story with me.

It seems that one night he heard an animal whining and crying out on the porch of the lodge, and he went out to see if it was a dog in trouble. It wasn’t a dog, but a young coyote. It had been struck by a porcupine, and her snout and mouth were all full of quills.

Gordon proceeded to get pliers, and sat down with the coyote, who allowed him to extract these quills. If any of you reading this have ever had a dog hit by a porcupine, you will understand how remakable this story is. Two strong people cannot usually hold a dog still enough to pull quills. Indeed, a vet usually has to tranquilize a dog to do this… but that coyote sat and let Gordon pull those terribly painful quills without anesthesia.

I always looked at Gordon differently after he shared this story with me. Though I always knew that he was a special person, hearing how this wild creature had come to him for help and had trusted him to save her (for she would not have been able to hunt and eat, and would have died a slow and miserable death) made me realize that he was not just a loving and compassionate man, but a magical one as well, one that even wild beasts would turn to in an hour of need.

Honoring the Great Ones

If you know someone who has carried out a special feat of heroism for an animal in need, please send them our way. The Great Animal Rescue Chase is open to all animal advocates and we’d love to hear your stories. Please enjoy our rescue showcase chock full of amazing tales from everyday heroes.

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