And the moment Hoelter burst through the clinic’s door, holding the puppy, is something Griffith Animal Hospital manager Lori Kovacich will never forget.

“I was out of my chair and in the lobby to get him in seconds,” Kovacich told The Dodo.

Horrified, Kovacich grabbed the puppy and raced him back to the veterinary staff. She moved so quickly, she never grabbed Hoelter’s name and number. “I think I kind of had tunnel vision,” she said.

Hoelter, happy the puppy was in good hands, headed back out to his original destination, the store.