A stray dog has had a dramatic turn in fortune and is now a valued member of a San Luis Potosí police patrol.

The small mixed breed canine affectionately known as “Coyotito” (Little Coyote) was a puppy when he arrived outside the installations of the state security ministry in San Luis Potosí city just over a year ago.

Coyotito attempted to find his place with a pack of dogs that congregated in the parking lot, but was not welcome and was chased away whenever he tried to get some of the food or water left by generous people. The pup didn’t give up and went to a nearby booth of the State Civil Guard, where he sheltered from the cold.

At first Coyotito was afraid of the guardsmen he met, but in just a few days he became more confident around them, and they started to feed him. The canine successfully made a new home and now accompanies the Guardsmen on patrol. He wears a small Civil Guard vest, making it clear that he’s very much part of the team.

The pup’s charm has spread to the wider community: local woman Doña July frequently carries a bag of croquettes in her vehicle to give to Coyotito and the other dogs that assemble outside the security complex.

Dogs are some of Mexico’s most celebrated public servants. The rescue dog Frida was reported to be alive and well in March, after fears that one of the heroes of the Mexico City earthquake in September 2017 had died. Frida was honored with a statue in her likeness in Puebla in 2018 and there is a mural dedicated to her in Roma, a Mexico City neighborhood that was hit hard by the 2017 earthquake, depicting the beloved Labrador as a saint-like figure.

With reports from El Heraldo de México and EOS Noticias