Hiker rescues abandoned 'puppy,' turns out to be a coyote

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A man found an adorable newborn puppy in a Southern California canyon. But that puppy was no puppy -- it was a coyote.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Monday that San Diego Humane Society officers received a call from the Tierrasanta resident who found the abandoned newborn while walking his dog in a nearby canyon.

"Our Humane Officers recently received a call about an abandoned puppy in a canyon in Tierrasanta," the shelter wrote on Facebook. "To their surprise, the little creature was actually a coyote pup!"

The man scooped it up, took it back to his house and summoned the officers.

Upon examination, the officers discovered that the newborn animal was a coyote.

The Humane Society delivered the animal to Project Wildlife for care before transfer to a Ramona animal sanctuary, The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center, which rehabilitates and releases native wildlife.

If all goes well, the coyote will be released in the same general area when it is old enough.

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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com