Tiny Pup
The cute little pup that she’d found whimpering in her backyard had stolen her heart. She’d fed him, kept him warm, and given him all the attention he needed.
She’d taken the poor little thing to the vet, who had insisted on a DNA test. But when the DNA results came back, nobody could believe that what she’d found wasn’t a dog at all.
Whimpering
Jayne Guiney lived in the small rural town of Wandiligong in Australia. One morning, she woke up and heard a strange noise coming from behind her house.
She went out to investigate and was surprised to find a small, frightened animal. It was whimpering and huddled right on the edge of a 3-meter cliff. In her panic, Jayne had no idea what she was really dealing with.
Rescue Mission
Jayne ran over and managed to grab the poor creature just as he started to tumble over the edge. She scooped the animal up and held it tight in her arms.
She looked at the frightened pup’s face and her heart melted. She couldn’t just leave the poor baby here. Maybe someone was looking for him?
Gorgeous Markings
Jayne inspected the puppy’s pretty markings and wondered what breed it was. She assumed that it was a mixed-breed - it was fluffy, with white paws and a light brown coat.
The puppy was affectionate and seemed to enjoy cuddling in her arms. Surely this puppy was no stray? She asked her neighbors if they were missing a dog, but nobody recognized it.
Taking Him In
Jayne, who was puzzled about how the pup had gotten into her yard in the first place, called all the nearby vets, but they had all closed for the weekend.
The pup would just have to stay with her until Monday. Then, she’d take it for a checkup. Meanwhile, she named the little pup Wandi. But, just a few days later, she’d get the shock of her life.
Mysterious Marks
When the vets were open on Monday, Jayne took Wandi to Day’s Alpine Animal Hospital in Bright, where veterinarian Rebekah Day examined him. But the vet made a strange discovery.
Along Wandi’s back were scratch-like marks, which she cleaned and treated. But what had happened to the little pup to cause wounds like that?
Suspicions
Rebekah suspected that the strange scratches were from some kind of bird of prey. That would explain how Wandi had gotten into Jayne’s yard.
But there were a few other details about the pup that made her suspect that something strange was going on. Even though he had a pointy face like a fox and was as robust as a puppy, Rebekah began to suspect that Wandi wasn’t either animal…
A Theory
Rebekah had a theory: a bird of prey, such as an eagle or owl, had snatched the pup up from his pack before accidentally dropping him in Jayne’s back yard.
Determined to discover what was going on, she ordered DNA tests to get to the bottom of the strange case. What exactly was Wandi if he wasn’t a fox or a dog?
Not What He Seemed
By now, the adorable little puppy that Jayne had found whimpering in her backyard had stolen her heart.
She’d taken care of the poor little pup and had taken it to the local vet for a checkup. But the vet knew that something just wasn’t adding up. And when the DNA results came back, nobody could believe what Wandi really was.
Not A Dog Or Fox
The DNA test revealed that Wandi wasn’t a fox, or a dog, or even a regular dingo. In fact, Rebekah had never seen anything like this before.
It turned out that Wandi was actually an extremely rare Australian Alpine dingo - the only type of dingo that is in danger of going completely extinct! But now that they knew what Wandi was, what to do with him?
A Rare Animal
Alpine dingoes are listed as “vulnerable” with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
And on top of that, most dingo populations in Australia are hybrids, with many being at least 50 percent domestic dog. But Wandi, it turns out, is 100 percent purebred dingo - which was incredible news for conservationists.
Apex Predators
“They’re our apex predator, they’re our lion,” Lyn Watson, director of the Australian Dingo Foundation, said. “Their job is to keep the kangaroo population down. That was their job … for thousands of years.”
It’s incredible that Jayne happened to find something so rare in her backyard… and, what’s more, Wandi basically fell right into her lap!
Sanctuary
Wandi has since been moved to the foundation’s Dingo Discovery Sanctuary to socialize with other young dingoes.
He will hopefully become part of their breeding program, playing an important role in the survival of his species, as purebred dingoes are very rare. Meanwhile, little Wandi has been stealing hearts on his very own Instagram account, and he has a new friend...
A Playmate
“Wandi has a little playmate his same age because he has been born at the perfectly right time for dingos in winter,” said Lyn Watson.
“He has tamed quite nicely. Whilst he is wild and always will be, he has become quite happy here and he likes the people that are caring for him.”
A Real Character
“He was a real little character straight away,” Kevin Newman, a volunteer with the Australian Dingo Foundation, told The Dodo.
“He was very friendly with people and would sink his sharp little teeth into your arm no matter who you were. He is a clever little dingo and really cheeky,” Kevin added. “We just love him so much!”