SAN DIEGO _ Humane Society officers received a call the other day from a San Diego resident who found an abandoned puppy while walking his dog in a nearby canyon.
He scooped it up, took it back to his house and summoned the San Diego Humane Society.
When officers arrived, they had a big surprise. Upon examination, the tiny critter was a far different kind of pup _ a coyote pup.
Because of lapsed time, rather than try to return the youngster to the canyon where it had been found, the Humane Society delivered it to Project Wildlife for care before transfer to a Ramona animal sanctuary, The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center, which rehabilitates and releases native wildlife.
"It's really difficult to tell the difference between a dog and a coyote pup, especially at just a few days old," explained Lauren DuBois, Project Wildlife rehabilitation director.
She says that coyotes frequently move their dens. The mother of this newborn may have been in the process of transferring her pups to a new location when the well-intentioned dog walker stumbled upon this one and rescued it.
If all goes well, when old enough, the pup will be released in the same general area.
