Officer Marcus Montgomery had gone to the animal shelter on police business. He had no plans to bring home a dog.
On January 26, 2016, the Fort Walton Beach police officer arrived at the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, known as PAWS, in Florida. He was there to investigate a situation involving a former shelter employee.
The visit seemed routine until a shelter supervisor walked into the office carrying a small puppy.
Montgomery asked to hold him.
The puppy settled into his arms, moved his tiny nose toward the officer’s face, and gave him a lick.
“When I held him close, he bumped his nose next to mine and licked it,” Montgomery later told ABC News. “I knew right then that I needed to get him.”
He had no idea that the puppy had spent the previous night abandoned outside the shelter in bitterly cold weather.
And he had not yet considered how bringing another dog home would affect the rescue dog already waiting for him.
But that little encounter would become the beginning of a new family for a puppy who had been left behind.
A Routine Visit to PAWS Took an Unexpected Turn
Montgomery was a police officer with the Fort Walton Beach Police Department. His assignment that day concerned a former employee of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, not an animal in need of adoption.
As he finished discussing the matter with the shelter director, a supervisor entered the office with a puppy in her hands.
The puppy was small enough to be held comfortably against someone’s chest. Montgomery could see that he was young, and the sight of him immediately caught his attention.
He made a lighthearted remark about how bringing the puppy closer might tempt him to take the little dog home.
Then he asked to hold him.
The puppy was calm in his arms. Instead of struggling to get away, he moved his face toward Montgomery’s and licked his nose.
For Montgomery, the connection was immediate.
People who adopt animals sometimes spend weeks searching for the right companion. Others meet an animal unexpectedly and feel drawn to it before they have thought through the practicalities.
Montgomery was experiencing the second kind of introduction.
But the decision to take the puppy home would require more than that first affectionate moment.
He already had a dog, a girlfriend, and a work schedule that could make caring for a young puppy challenging.
Before making a commitment, he needed to understand what the little dog would require.
Then the shelter staff told him where the puppy had come from.
The Puppy Had Been Left in a Box Behind the Shelter
The puppy had not arrived at PAWS with an owner completing surrender paperwork.
According to the account Montgomery received from shelter staff, someone had left him in a box behind the building overnight.
Temperatures in the area had been reaching 30 degrees Fahrenheit and below around that time.
For a very young puppy, exposure to cold weather can be particularly dangerous. Puppies have less ability to regulate their body temperature than healthy adult dogs, and their small size can make them especially vulnerable when left without appropriate shelter and warmth.
The account did not establish how long the puppy had been exposed to the lowest temperatures or whether he suffered any lasting medical effects.
What was known was troubling enough.
He had been left outside a shelter building through a cold night, without someone there to care for him.
Montgomery found that difficult to imagine.
He later told ABC News that thinking about the puppy alone in the box, possibly confused and crying, had deeply affected him.
The officer had heard the little dog’s cries after meeting him. Knowing that he had been left outdoors made those sounds harder to forget.
He could not know what the puppy had experienced emotionally during the night.
But he could understand the basic danger of leaving such a young animal outside in freezing conditions.
And now that same puppy was resting in his arms.
Montgomery Already Had a Rescue Dog Named Vader
Although the encounter was unexpected, Montgomery was not unfamiliar with rescue animals.
He and his girlfriend already shared their home with a dog named Vader, whom Montgomery had adopted from PAWS.
Vader was a pit bull terrier, named after Darth Vader from Star Wars.
He was already an established member of the household, with his own routines and relationship with the couple.
Bringing home a puppy would change that arrangement.
Young dogs need frequent attention, supervision, appropriate feeding, opportunities for socialization, and consistent routines as they grow.
They also need time to learn how to interact with adult dogs.
Even when an older dog is generally friendly, a puppy’s constant movement, playfulness, and tendency to explore with his mouth can require careful supervision.
Montgomery understood that adopting another animal was not a decision to make solely because the puppy was affectionate.
He and his girlfriend both worked, and their schedules raised an important concern.
Would they have enough time to give the puppy the attention he needed?
The officer wanted to offer the little dog a good home, but he also wanted to be realistic about what that responsibility involved.
So he began asking questions.
He Wanted to Be Sure They Could Care for Him
Montgomery spoke with PAWS staff about the puppy’s needs.
He discussed how long the dog could reasonably be left alone, what care would be required, and how the household might manage another animal.
The conversation helped him better understand what adopting a puppy would involve.
It also gave him an opportunity to consider the situation beyond the immediate emotional connection.
A puppy rescued from abandonment still needs the same everyday care as any other young dog. A compassionate decision is most useful when the adopter can provide appropriate attention, veterinary care, and a stable environment.
Montgomery had already shown that he understood those responsibilities through his care for Vader.
He now needed to determine whether his household could accommodate a second dog.
After speaking with the shelter staff, he discussed the possibility with his girlfriend.
She was an important part of the decision. Both would be involved in caring for the puppy, and both needed to be comfortable with bringing him home.
Then she met him.
Like Montgomery, she quickly became attached to the little dog when she held him.
The couple agreed that they wanted to welcome him into their family.
What had begun as an unexpected meeting at the shelter became a decision they made together.
The Puppy Got a New Name: Kylo
With Vader already at home, the couple had an obvious source of inspiration for the puppy’s name.
Montgomery had chosen Vader’s name, so he wanted his girlfriend to name their newest family member.
She chose Kylo, after Kylo Ren from Star Wars.
It was a small, playful connection between the family’s two dogs, and one that made the new arrival feel like part of the household.
Vader and Kylo.
The names belonged together, even before the dogs had learned how to live alongside one another.
There was still one important step before the puppy could be formally adopted.
Kylo was too young to complete the adoption process at that time.
Instead, Montgomery and his girlfriend began fostering him until he reached the appropriate age.
That arrangement allowed them to care for him at home while following the shelter’s requirements.
Fostering also gave the puppy access to a household rather than leaving him waiting at the shelter during those early weeks.
For Kylo, the change was substantial.
Only a short time earlier, he had been left in a box behind the building.
Now he had people responsible for his care, a home where he could begin growing, and an older dog waiting to meet him.
Vader Had a New Little Brother
Introducing a puppy into a home with an adult dog can be unpredictable.
Some older dogs welcome young companions readily. Others need more time, space, and carefully managed interactions.
Vader was getting used to having another dog in his home.
Kylo, meanwhile, seemed particularly interested in him.
The puppy began following Vader around, watching his movements and trying to imitate his behavior.
Wherever the older dog went, Kylo often wanted to go too.
The behavior was familiar to anyone who has watched a young dog learn from an older companion.
Puppies frequently observe and follow other dogs. They may copy movements, investigate the same areas, and engage in play as they develop social skills.
Vader became an important part of Kylo’s new environment.
The little puppy had a larger dog to interact with, and the two began playing together.
For Montgomery, watching that relationship develop brought another responsibility: making sure their interactions remained safe and comfortable.
Montgomery Kept a Close Eye on Their Play
Kylo was still teething, which meant he was inclined to explore and interact with his mouth.
That included play with Vader.
Montgomery explained that he stayed nearby when the dogs played because he did not want Kylo latching onto the older dog.
It was a practical concern, especially given the difference in their sizes and ages.
A puppy may be energetic and persistent without recognizing when an adult dog needs space. Supervision helps people recognize when play should continue and when the animals need a break.
Montgomery’s attention to those details showed that welcoming Kylo involved more than providing food and a place to sleep.
He was learning how to care for a young dog while maintaining a comfortable home for Vader.
The two dogs were developing their relationship through ordinary interactions.
Kylo followed.
Vader moved around the house.
They played, and Montgomery remained close enough to intervene when necessary.
There was no need to turn every interaction into a dramatic milestone.
The important development was that the puppy was beginning to participate in a stable household, with familiar people and another dog around him.
The Shelter Had Given Kylo a Chance to Be Found
Kylo’s story also reflected the work animal shelters do beyond the moment an animal arrives at their doors.
When someone abandons a young puppy outside a building, shelter staff must respond to immediate care needs while determining what happens next.
The animal may require feeding, warmth, veterinary attention, and an assessment of whether it is ready to enter a home.
In Kylo’s case, the staff at PAWS had taken him in and were caring for him when Montgomery arrived.
His meeting with the officer was unexpected.
Montgomery had not come looking for a puppy, and the original purpose of his visit had nothing to do with adoption.
Yet the shelter supervisor’s decision to bring the little dog into the office created an opportunity for him to meet someone who could offer a home.
The photograph of Montgomery holding Kylo later attracted attention online, introducing many more people to the small puppy and his unusual adoption story.
Montgomery hoped that attention would encourage others to consider shelter animals.
He understood that not every abandoned dog would happen to meet a potential adopter during a routine police visit.
Many animals wait much longer, and some have needs that make placement more challenging.
His experience with both Vader and Kylo had given him personal reasons to value rescue and adoption.
A Small Puppy Became Part of an Established Family
For Montgomery and his girlfriend, bringing Kylo home meant making adjustments to a household they already shared with Vader.
They had to account for their schedules, a young puppy’s needs, and the introduction of two dogs with different levels of maturity.
Their decision was not simply an emotional response to hearing about abandonment.
They sought advice, discussed their responsibilities, and chose to make room for another animal.
Those steps mattered because a new home is only the beginning of responsible care.
Puppies grow, learn, and change. Their exercise needs, behavior, and relationships with other pets develop over time.
For Kylo, the early reports were encouraging.
He was becoming comfortable enough to play with Vader and follow him around.
The older dog was adjusting to having a much smaller companion.
And Montgomery was able to watch their relationship develop while providing the supervision Kylo needed.
The puppy who had first caught his attention with a simple lick now had a place in the family’s daily life.
He was no longer just the little dog Montgomery had met during a police call.
He was Kylo.
Wherever Vader Went, Kylo Was Close Behind
There was something fitting about the way Kylo settled into the household.
His introduction to Montgomery had been brief and ordinary: a puppy resting in someone’s arms, moving closer, and giving him a lick.
That moment had caught the officer’s attention.
But everything that followed required more deliberate choices.
Montgomery had to consider his work schedule. His girlfriend had to agree. Shelter staff helped them understand the puppy’s needs, and the couple took him home under a fostering arrangement until he was old enough for formal adoption.
Vader also had to adjust to the new arrival.
Over time, the first reports of the dogs together showed a puppy eager to follow his older companion and an adult dog learning to share his home.
Kylo had not been rescued from a box by affection alone.
He had been taken into a shelter, cared for by staff, and welcomed by people who considered what raising him would require.
On January 26, 2016, Montgomery had walked into PAWS expecting to handle a police matter.
He left with a reason to return and a puppy he wanted to make part of his family.
The little dog who had spent a cold night outside a shelter building now had people looking after him.
He had a name that matched his older brother’s.
And he had Vader.
As the puppy settled into his new home, one of his favorite activities was following the older dog and trying to do what he did.
For a dog who had started life with such an uncertain future, the change could be seen in something wonderfully ordinary.
Vader had a little brother.
And wherever Vader went, Kylo was rarely far behind.
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