Update: Banjo The Dog Gets New Parents; 1,300+ People Applied

A poodle-terrier mix who had been left for dead while tied to train tracks east of Palm Desert now has a new family and home.

Banjo the dog, who became a national sensation after his story went viral back in April, was saved only because a railroad engineer spotted him just in the nick of time, applying breaks on the Union Pacific train moments before it would have crushed the canine near Mecca, according to Riverside County Department of Animal Services Spokesman John Welsh.

Welsh says that the department received more than 1,300 email requests from people who wanted to take Banjo into their homes and adopt him.  Many of those came from all over the nation, and some even from outside the United States.

"We took a fair amount of time in reading all the great notes from folks," Welsh said.  "We also sincerely gave some serious consideration to the out-of-state residents, but ultimately, due to Banjo’s temperament, we felt it was in his best interest to be adopted by a California family."

After narrowing down the candidates, the agency finally decided on a couple from Huntington Beach, identified as Louisa and Jeff Moore.

"When we called the couple this afternoon to firm up the plans, both of them were in tears," Welsh said on Thursday.

The couple picked up Banjo Friday afternoon at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, where Banjo was treated after his ordeal.   Not only did he meet his new parents, but his new sister Lali, a Tibetan Terrier.