Dog Sealed Shut Inside Box Officially Joins Family Who Rescued Him

For a local dog, it's come full circle. He was found sealed shut in a wooden box and left to die. But on Friday, he officially joined the family of the person who rescued him.

In late December, Feleciana Ramirez said someone told her an animal was alive inside a wooden dog house that was abandoned in a grassy area near the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City. The dog house's entrance was sealed shut with a board and screws.

"I had a utility ax and I broke it open, peaked in it, and seen that he was in there," said Ramirez. "I was surprised to find anything alive because he wasn't whimpering. He wasn't making any kind of noise."

The dog was taken to OKC Animal Welfare. A few days later, Kayla Wise became the dog's foster mom through the non-profit, Mutt Misfits Animal Rescue Society.

"He was very tired, very scared. Just exhausted more than anything, I think, because he slept for a long time," recalled Wise. "His case is the worst that I've had in my home."

Wise affectionately named the dog Karus, which meant precious and beloved. Under Wise's care, the dog gained 20 pounds.

"He's much more confident. Over the last five weeks, I've just watched his personality really come out," said Wise.

Wise interviewed several potential families to adopt Karus. She ultimately chose Ramirez, whose family picked the dog up from Wise on Friday. With his tail wagging, the dog gave plenty of kisses to the Ramirez family and was extremely excited to go to his forever home. The family renamed him Diego.

"Just can't imagine anyone hurting him the way they did," said Kathy Ramirez.

Jon Gary, superintendent of OKC Animal Welfare, told News 9 on Friday that the person responsible for sealing the dog inside the wooden box had not been found.