Shelter Releases Dog Mistaken For Coyote Into The Wild

Every now and then, we’ll come across a story about a case of mistaken animal identity.

Whether it’s a family’s new puppy who turns out to be a fox or a tiny creature who grows into something completely unexpected, these things are bound to happen every once in a while. However, if there’s anyone who should be able to tell the difference between a housepet and a wild animal, it’s those people who work in the animal care industry.

That’s why we can’t believe the story of a Shiba Inu dog from Kentucky who went missing from her family’s home. Copper was later discovered by a local police officer, who brought the dog to a shelter and was shocked to hear that she was actually a coyote… or so they thought.

screen-shot-2016-12-19-at-5-50-08-pm — [WKYT]

The shelter gave the cop two options: either return the animal to the wild or put her to sleep. Thankfully, he chose the former, but it wasn’t until after Copper was released that the officer recognized her face on a “Missing” sign by owner Lori Goodlett, that he realized the terrible mistake.

Goodlett was heartbroken to lose her dog of 11 years, but luckily her story didn’t end there. Check out the video below:

Who do you think is to blame here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and please don’t forget…