“A security officer handed me a cardboard box with a small dog inside. His hair was so long and curly it covered his eyes,” Ramos, who has served the Temple community for three years, recalled. “It looked like he could use a bath. To be honest, it really looked like he could use some love.” 

Ramos took the box, with the dog inside, and placed him in the back of his patrol car. He then texted a photo of his new four-legged friend to his wife, Evelyn, who candidly responded: “Are you taking him home?” 

Ramos already has a dog, plus three daughters. 

“But I thought, ‘OK, I might be taking him home.’ I mean, look at that face!”

First, though, Ramos transported him to Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) Philly.

“I had to take him to the shelter first to see if there was anything I could do and if he belonged to anyone else. But he didn’t have a chip. So they neutered him and gave him the shots that he needed,” Ramos said. 

As Ramos drove away from ACCT, It wasn’t long before he knew he wanted to adopt the 1-year-old, 8-pound dog that he believes is a Maltese shih tzu.

“The same day that I dropped him off at ACCT, I called back a few hours later to see how he was doing. They told me that it was too soon for an update but that if I was interested in adopting him, they would let me know in two days, in case anyone comes by to claim him,” Ramos said.

Two days later, ACCT Philly called Ramos to let him know that, if he was still interested, the dog was available for adoption.

“I immediately said yes!” Ramos said.

He added that he named him Philly, because he was found in the City of Brotherly Love.

“At the time, I was looking for a small dog, and he fit into our household perfectly,” Ramos said.

Before taking Philly to the groomer, Ramos said it was obvious that he was on the streets for a while. 

“After Philly got a haircut, it was like a different dog under all that fur. And then the kids really fell in love with him,” Ramos said. 

Now, Ramos said Philly is living like a king. 

“He’s living it up. My other dog, Mowgli, is like a big brother to him. They get along very well and look out for each other. The kids really love him, too. That was important,” Ramos said.

Temple Police Chief and Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Griffin said she has seen Ramos go above and beyond the call of duty on multiple occasions, and this is another example of his service-minded character. 

“Officer Ramos has been a top-notch police officer, and is a field training officer also known as a coach to new police officers. He is often seen engaging with our students and community at a variety of events. We look forward to seeing him continue his engagement efforts in his new role as a sergeant,” said Griffin. “While the dog, Philly, got off to a difficult start in life, there is no doubt that Officer Ramos and his family will do all that they can to ensure the rest of his life is full of love and scratches.”

As for how Philly may have gotten inside the building, police believe he could have slipped through a handicap door that stayed open long enough for him to get in.

Whatever the case, Ramos hopes others adopt, too. 

“When I was at the shelter, there were many other dogs I wanted to take home,” Ramos said. “But I’m so glad that Philly found us.”

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