BARNSTABLE (CBS) — An area household received fairly the shock when the lovely “lost puppy” they thought they rescued turned out to be a child coyote.

The Barnstable-based Cape Wildlife Center mentioned that the household discovered the animal final week “wandering and distressed by the side of a busy road.”

“He was then accidentally taken home by a local family after they mistakenly identified him as a lost puppy,” the middle posted to Facebook. “After realizing their mix up they called us for assistance.”

The middle together with the Department of Public Health decided that the coyote pup had not been uncovered to rabies. He’s recovering on the middle and can quickly be launched to a foster sibling coyote from Rhode Island.

The coyote pups can be vaccinated and raised collectively in “as much of a natural upbringing as possible” throughout the middle.

Officials says this was a fortunate consequence, contemplating how inclined coyotes are to the lethal rabies virus.

“This case had a happy ending, but it could have easily gone differently,” the middle mentioned. “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 middle says that persons are inspired to contact the suitable authorities earlier than they intervene to assist wildlife.