It was love at first sight for this cop and his new puppy pal Kylo.
Patrol Officer Marcus Montgomery was dispatched to the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to take care of an issue regarding a former shelter employee late last month. While Montgomery was conducting his investigation, he was introduced to a sweet puppy, who had been left outside the shelter in a basket.
They had an instant connection and Montgomery ended up bringing the pooch, who's now named Kylo, home the next day. The undeniable bond between the officer and his new pooch was captured in a priceless photo.
Dee Thompson, the shelter's executive director, told The Huffington Post that when Montgomery saw the puppy, the officer wanted to hold the little guy. When Kylo looked at the officer, Montgomery just melted.
"I thought that grown man was going to turn into a puddle," Thompson said. "He said, 'I can't! I can't!'"
The officer ended up bringing Kylo home after speaking with his girlfriend, Thompson said. The puppy is the perfect addition to Montgomery's family -- especially since he's adopted another dog in the past, a pit bull terrier named Vader.
The two Sith dogs are getting along just fine.
"Vader has been getting used to Kylo being around and realizing that he has a younger sibling to look after," Montgomery said. "Kylo follows him everywhere and is constantly wanting to play, and he obliges each time. So they are getting along perfectly."
Montgomery and his girlfriend are fostering Kylo for the time being, but after the puppy has completed his shots and gotten neutered, he will officially be adopted into the family.
And while it was really impossible for the cop to avoid falling in love with Kylo, he told HuffPost that he also adopted the pup to inspire others to give shelter dogs a second chance at a happy life.
"I really hope that my story brightens someone's day and gets people all over the world to seek out their local animal shelters and give these animals some hope that they aren't forgotten."
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