SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 9-year-old girl received a special surprise in Sacramento after dealing with tragedy.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office says a man intentionally ran over her puppy earlier this month, so they partnered with the Bradshaw Animal Shelter to get her a new pet.
"We really felt for her and we wanted to do something special for her," said Deputy Daniel Garcia.
9-year-old Priscilla Aguilar’s German Shepard puppy, named Canelo, died weeks ago after being hit by a car.
Despite the circumstances, she was all smiles as she walked into the Bradshaw Animal Shelter Wednesday morning. She had a private viewing around the shelter before it opened to the public to pick out a new furry friend.
The sheriff's office also gave Priscilla new pet supplies and a bicycle, along with a $500 pet store gift card from the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff's Association.
Priscilla met three dogs at the shelter, but a Husky named Atlas stole her heart.
"Awesome. It's awesome. I just love how they play a lot," Priscilla said after meeting the dogs.
Atlas and Priscilla shared a special bond within seconds of meeting.
"I think I felt a stronger connection with him because he was exactly as playful as my other dog, so I just really loved him," she said.
The shelter said Atlas is around four to five-years-old.
"One of our ACA's, Ashley, actually recommended him for Priscilla knowing how playful he is and thinking how great he would be for a family. I think we all saw today how that's absolutely true," said Luna Anona, spokesperson for Bradshaw Animal Shelter.
The deputies who responded to the initial call were also there for the special moment.
"We dealt with the traumatic incident and the after effects of it," said Deputy Joe White. "Being able to see that she's smiling and happy and then her dad's also happier seeing her happy... it's a great process overall."
Donald Cummins, the man accused of running over and killing her puppy, was arrested and faces animal cruelty charges, according to the sheriff's office.
