'Lost puppy' rescued by Massachusetts family turns out to be a coyote pup

May 4 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers in Massachusetts said a family who rescued a "lost puppy" found on a busy road were shocked to learn the animal was actually a baby coyote.

The Cape Wildlife Center in Cape Cod said in a Facebook post that a family spotted the small canine wandering alone at the side of a busy road.

The family took the animal home when they "mistakenly identified him as a lost puppy," the post said.

Family members soon started to suspect the "puppy" was actually a wild animal and contacted the Cape Wildlife Center, which confirmed the canine was an Eastern coyote pup.

The wildlife center said the pup tested negative for rabies and will now be raised alongside another orphaned coyote pup until the animals are old enough to be safely released back into the wild.