Carson Zorn
•6/22/2026

Cape Coral firefighters responded to a call for a dog in a canal Monday morning, only to end up rescuing a coyote pup.According to the Cape Coral Fire Department, crews from Engine 9 and Rescue 9 responded to a call of a dog in a canal near Britannia Lake. The animal swam from shore to shore as firefighters tried to rescue it.Denae Judd, who was nearby in the water at the time, offered to help the firefighters from her kayak. Judd monitored the location of the animal and let the crews know it had crawled under a dock, CCFD said.Firefighters then entered the water and were able to rescue what turned out to be a coyote pup from under the dock, CCFD said.The pup was exhausted from the experience and was unable to be released, CCFD said. It was taken to the East West Veterinary Care Center, which will coordinate moving it to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife for rehabilitation.CCFD awarded Judd with a Community Recognition Coin for her assistance in the rescue effort.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.