The suspected beagle, believed to be only around six weeks old, was rescued by a family determined to identify the crying sound they heard while out walking along the 7km long Coalisland Canal last Friday.
Drumbonaway Kennels shared a picture of the pooch online with an appeal to help find the owner, however, no one has come forward.
But Coleen Cunningham from the rescue shelter has helped ensure the story has a happy ending.
“A family were out walking and they heard the crying, but they didn’t know what it was — if it was a child or a bird,” she explained.
“They made their way through the trees and this wee thing was found clinging to a tree on the water bank.
“They rang us and we said ‘bring him down’.
“He was freezing cold, wet, hungry and traumatised when he first got here, but he’s in great form now and the family who found him are going to give him a good home.
“So it has worked out well for him and it all seems like it’s meant to be, which is lovely.”
Ms Cunningham believes the puppy, which has no name yet, is too small to have wandered to the location where he was found.
“Based on the circumstances, I think somebody had to have dumped him,” she said.
“He’s very young — I would say between six and eight weeks old.
“Going by his houndlike face it seems like he is a beagle or beagle mix, but we’ll have to wait and see what he grows into.”
Ms Cunningham said the kennel is normally inundated with abandoned animals at this time of year, but this incident is the only one they are aware of in the area.
“I don’t know if the clampdown on puppy farming is helping or if there is less breeding after the pandemic because there is less money in it — but we have not seen the numbers we are used to so far, which is nice,” she said.
“But you can get a lot of dumping in the new year as a result of the Christmas dump out, so we will have to wait and see what happens in January and February.
“We will have to play it by ear.”
High demand, especially for fashionable designer pups, during the coronavirus lockdown meant business boomed for illegal dog breeders and traders.
A spate of prosecutions resulting from the UK-wide Operation Delphin and a post-pandemic drop in the number of people buying dogs may be deterring sellers from taking the risk.
The rescued puppy has already bounced back and is enjoying the warmth after getting the thumbs up from the vet following checks.
He is already in his forever home after being picked up by his thrilled new owners this afternoon.