Lost Puppy Turns Out to be Baby Coyote

A Cape Cod, Massachusetts, family believed they were doing a good deed when they rescued what they thought was a small domestic puppy from the side of the road, only to discover it was actually a coyote pup.

According to CBS News Boston, the family reached out to the Barnstable-based Cape Wildlife Center for assistance when they realized their mix-up.

The center, along with the Department of Public Health, determined that the coyote pup did not expose the family to rabies. It’s now being cared for at the center where it will be paired with another coyote pup from Rhode Island.

The young coyotes will be vaccinated and raised together at the center.

“This case had a happy ending, but it could have easily gone differently,” the center said. “If the finders had been bitten, scratched, or had extended contact, we would have been mandated to euthanize the pup and test for rabies.”

The center encourages people to contact the appropriate authorities before helping wildlife.

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