A man came forward Sunday and said he was the driver seen in a surveillance video leaving a dog in the parking lot of a Walgreen store in San Fernando on Christmas Eve. The animal appeared dirty, matted and without food, according to animal rescue officials.

The man, who did not want to be identified by name, told KTLA that he had found the dog moving in and out of nearby traffic. He said he trying to be a Good Samaritan by picking up the dog, who was in danger of being struck by vehicles, and bringing him to safety in the parking lot.

A couple feeding cats found the dog in the lot, located at 2050 Glenoaks Blvd. (map), on Wednesday. They were able to catch him and hand him over to independent animal rescuer Hailey Moss around 9:50 p.m., according to Moss.

The dog has since been named Ralphie, groomed and given to a short-term foster family, Moss said.

Ralphie is believed to be a male shih tzu, possibly a Lhasa apso mix, according to a fundraising page created for him on the website YouCaring.com.

The website asks for $2,000 in donations to help pay for the food and medical attention Ralphie was expected to need before being placed with an adoptive family.

Those interested in adopting the dog were asked to send inquiries via email to Ralphiechristmaspup@gmail.com.

The site also shows surveillance video apparently capturing the moment Ralphie was left.

As of Sunday evening, $1,030 had been donated.

KTLA’s John A. Moreno contributed to this report.