Arkansas woman rescues newborn "puppy" off the side of the road, but wildlife veterinarians tell her it isn't actually a dog at all

When you find a wild baby animal in need, always take proper precautions before approaching and trying to help. Even if it is extremely friend-shaped.

We're not going to lie to you - we probably would have done the exact same thing as this woman from Arkansas if we found ourselves in her situation. It would be impawssible for us to see this poor "puppy" in need and not pull over to help it. Even though we know better than to interfere with wild animals, all logic and rules go out the window when we see an opportunity to help a poor creature that didn't deserve the fate it had been dealt. It's actually how we found one of our family dogs when we were kids! While driving home during a thunderstorm, our mom saw a puppy curled up off the highway. She immediately stopped the car, ran out in the pouring rain, and brought him to the vet. We named him "Thunder", and he was a great doggo.

Not unlike our childhood story, this Arkansas woman found a newborn "puppy" on the side of the road. Too small to survive on its own, she asked the internet for help before taking any serious action, like bringing it home. Thankfully, she discovered how to help it properly. SHe also discovered that it was a puppy, just not one that she could own (no matter how cute it was).

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When animals are so small, it's hard to identify them properly. But, we would be amiss if we didn't use our platform to reiterate what we wrote above: before approaching any wild animal, be it a newborn baby or an injured animal in distress, always take proper precautions before attempting to help. Wild animals are unpredictable, especially in high-stress situations. Never touch them with your bare hands, and never take them to your house, especially if you have other pets. Always contact the appropriate authorities, like animal control or a wildlife rescue to help coordinate the rescue and aftercare.
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We have an update from the author that she did, in fact, hand over the “puppy” to a wildlife rescue, and they are taking care of its safety. She understood that this was not an animal that she could care for herself, because of its extremely young age, and also that it probably wasn't safe to raise in a human home. We're not sure we would have had her strength.
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