Officers from the San Francisco Police Department say they kept a stranded seal safe from the perils of Ocean Beach's shore Wednesday, until a rescue crew arrived to take the pup into their care.

Bay City news reports that by 6 a.m. Wednesday, Sausalito's Marine Mammal Center had received multiple calls from people "including members of the public, police and National Park Service staff" reporting a stranded seal on Ocean Beach near Noriega Street.

According to a tweet from SFPD's Taraval Station, officers protected the young Guadalupe fur seal "from crows & off-leash dog" until rescuers arrived. According to MMC spokesperson Giancarlo Rulli, the seal likely needed their help, as it was "very malnourished and lethargic" and "emaciated."

Guadalupe fur seals like this one are more commonly found in Southern California and Mexico, Rulli says, but we've been seeing more up here lately: Last year, BCN reports, the MMC took in 32, a record number in the rescue organization's history.

The seal, which Rulli says weighs only 15 pounds, is definitely in need of veterinary care and will be examined today "to determine more about its condition, gender and prognosis," BCN reports. An update on the pup's condition wasn't available at publication time, but we're rooting for you, little buddy!