As Coleton Moore, 6, and Rex, a lab-boxer mix puppy, ran and played in the Moore family backyard one recent evening, it was hard to tell who was having more fun.

Now the best of pals, their paths had not yet crossed just over a month earlier.

Coleton had been asking for a puppy repeatedly after the family lost its Alaskan malamute to cancer. On Nov. 9 a black lab mix and three of its siblings were dumped on a bridge over the Great Miami River.

Luckily for the four puppies, Miami County Sheriff’s Deputy Sarah Fraley was nearby. She heard a yelp from one of the puppies and came quickly to their aid. The malnourished, thin puppies were given medical attention and taken to the county Animal Shelter.

Before long, the number of people offering to adopt one of the puppies grew. Among them were Kelly and Jason Moore, sheriff’s office employees. They’d never adopted a pet before but were among the four selected by the shelter to adopt a puppy.

The Moores live in eastern Miami County’s Lost Creek Twp. The family, which also includes daughters Lauren Thompson, a college student, and Sara Thompson, a Miami East High School student, brainstormed names for the newest member. Coleton, a Miami East kindergartener and lover of dinosaurs, had the final say, choosing Rex.

It didn’t take Rex long to settle into his new dog’s life.

“He has been an awesome dog. He has been pretty easy to potty train. He hasn’t really destroyed anything in the house … to date,” Kelly Moore said. “He is a puppy and does like to chew on things, but he hasn’t been too difficult.”

She described the dog as snuggly, one who likes to hang out and sit on someone’s lap. When Kelly Moore’s mother had knee surgery, Rex was glad to hang out with her.

“He is a pretty good puppy. He plays hard, and then he sleeps,” she said. “He likes everybody. You can see that tail going nonstop.”

Although Rex was thin when he arrived, he is starting to fill out and is a good eater.

Coleton, whose mom called him an Animal Planet TV show junkie, already is talking about showing Rex in 4-H competitions. “I’m thinking we probably can win it together,” he said.

Before Rex came into their lives, the Moores had been talking with breeders and others about a possible new pet. Kelly Moore said she’d contacted a man about golden retriever puppies but never heard back, until the day they were going to the shelter to pick up Rex.

The timing of that situation told her the adoption was meant to be.

“It was an early Christmas present,” she said.