Whether that was what led to this cute little fella wandering away is unclear. But in the early morning hours of January 1st, officers from CHP Ventura happened upon the cold and frightened pooch at a gas station in Camarillo.

The CHP detailed their finding in this Facebook post:

As noted in the post, the dog was sporting a red and black checkered sweater, so clearly is someone’s beloved pet.

After warming the dog up in their patrol vehicle, the officers transported it to a local animal shelter, where it was then picked up by Ventura County Animal Services.

No word yet on whether the pup has been reunited with its owners but hopefully, it was chipped and/or the owners have since seen the post and been able to retrieve their furry friend and have him back home.

On a more personal note, I’ll add that volunteer work with a local dog rescue organization has been a critical piece to my maintaining my mental well-being this year. In the midst of the chaos that was 2020 — both on the world stage and in my own life — having a regular “date” to visit, tend to, play with, and give lots of scritches to doggos in need of some TLC and looking for a home has, no doubt, kept my blood pressure lower and given me a sense of purpose and some much-needed perspective. Though human interactions  — on all manner of subjects — may be contentious and uncertain, dogs? Well, they’ve got better things to do — like snarf down some treats and remind you with a firm, yet friendly, paw that they need more pets. Each Saturday, I leave the shelter covered in fur and, often, some dog slobber, but with a smile on my face.

I’m sure the pup picked up by the CHP has brought many such smiles to its human(s). Here’s hoping (s)he’s back to doing just that. And kudos to the CHP officers who rescued the pooch, made sure it got warm, and saw to it that it was safe!

Let us know what you think in the comments section, below. And if you come across any good news stories you’d like us to share here, please send them to [email protected].