Earlier this year, officers from the Dallas Police Department came across a tiny animal curled up beside a dumpster while on patrol in southern Dallas, Texas.
At first glance, the caramel-colored youngster looked like a puppy, but there was some confusion. Its features resembled a fox—or perhaps even a baby coyote.
The officers couldn’t quite decide what the little one was, but one thing was certain: this frightened baby needed rescuing. They kept it safe until Dallas Animal Services arrived to take her in.
Is It A Puppy Or A Coyote?
The discovery of this “mystery animal” quickly spread across the media, sparking heated debates nationwide. Was it truly a dog? Or had the officers stumbled upon a coyote pup?
Even though Dallas Animal Services didn’t believe the animal was a coyote, they couldn’t rule it out completely. Its tan coat and oversized ears made the resemblance undeniable.
Foster mom and Dallas Animal Services officer Jacqui Sutherland shared her hunch with WFAA:
“My money is on domestic. If I had money, it would be on domestic.”
Still, curiosity lingered, and there was only one way to solve the riddle once and for all: a DNA test.
In the meantime, the staff gave their mysterious guest a fitting name—Toast.
The Big Reveal
After nearly two weeks of waiting, Embark Vet finally revealed the much-anticipated results.
“Toast is a DOG! 🐶 As we suspected, she turned out to be a beautiful little mutt,” Dallas Animal Services shared on Facebook.
The test showed Toast’s mix:
42% German Shepherd
38% Siberian Husky
20% Australian Cattle Dog
Toast had the internet stumped for weeks, but the truth was finally out—she was no wild coyote, just a sweet puppy who had been surviving on scraps by a dumpster.
With the DNA mystery solved, the next step was finding Toast a forever home.
It didn’t take long. Within five minutes of posting her adoption listing, Toast received the maximum number of applications. She was quickly matched with a loving family ready to give her the life she deserved.
“Toast has found a home, but the Dallas area is overwhelmed with dogs and many large-breed dogs and moms with pups are looking for fosters and forever homes,” Embark Vet reminded in their Facebook post.
While Toast’s journey wrapped up with the happiest of endings, she also shed light on the larger issue of abandoned dogs still waiting for their chance.
Thanks to one unusual-looking pup, countless more shelter dogs got a little extra attention and, hopefully, a better shot at finding homes too.