Scruffy, stray dog found wandering Temple University building finds new home with officer

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - A stray dog found inside a Temple University building finds a happy ending in a true rags-to-riches story. His name is Philly and the adorable little dog has become the star of the show.

Sergeant David Ramos, with the Temple Police Department, adopted the Maltese Shih Tzu mix after he was found roaming the hallways of the College of Engineering back in August. He was a matted mess when Ramos got the call from security to come get him.

"He was pretty scruffy looking and he looked like he needed some love and a home," Sgt. Ramos explained.

Sgt. Ramos said Philly was calm and super sweet and he had an instant connection. "I snapped a pic of him, sent it to my wife, ‘Hey what do you think?’ She’s like, ‘Are you bringing him home?’"

His wife, Evelyn Ramos, was all in. "We’ve been looking for a dog. I got excited. I was like just bring him home."

Sgt. Ramos took the dog to ACCT Philly to see if he belonged to someone, which is protocol. But, he could not get the dog off his mind, "A couple hours later, I called the shelter, just to see how he was doing."

It turns out the 1-year-old pup, weighing just eight pounds, was not microchipped and no one came forward to claim him after 48 hours.

Ramos said he was thrilled to get that phone call from ACCT, "They reached out to me and said yeah. I’m willing to adopt him. He just fit right in."

The family’s other dog, Mowgli, and Ramos’ wife and kids all fell in love with Philly. Evelyn said, "He loves sleeping with anyone he can snuggle up with. He’s really good."

As for how Philly managed to get into the College of Engineering, no one is 100 percent certain, but they believe he slipped into the building through a handicapped door that stayed open long enough for the little guy to scurry in.

Temple’s Chief of Police and Vice President of Public Safety, Jennifer Griffin, says she’s not surprised Sgt. Ramos went above and beyond the call of duty. "This just goes to show our Temple police aren't just here to handle crime. We're really proud. Sergeant Ramos and his family are a perfect family for him."

And, Philly has hit the jackpot, now living like a king. Congratulations to Sgt. Ramos who was officially promoted to the position Thursday. Philly and the Ramos’ family were all there to support the 3-year veteran.