An abandoned “puppy” in San Diego was not a puppy at all.

A man walking his dog found what he thought was a newborn canine, and scooped it up and took it home.

But when members of the San Diego Humane Society came to treat the tiny fur ball, they realized it was really an infant coyote.

“To their surprise, the little creature was actually a coyote pup!” the organization said on its Facebook page.

The pup was transferred to Project Wildlife, a Humane Society group that looks after wild animals. Veterinarians there were able to determine the coyote was only days old. Its eyes hadn’t even opened yet.

After 24 hours, and a meal of baby formula, the pup was sent to the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center, where it will stay until it’s ready to be released back into the wild.