With the waters above her paws and a leash tethering her to a pole, the dog looked on the verge of becoming a victim of Hurricane Harvey.
The mongrel was soaked to the skin and apparently abandoned in an area where every human had fled before the storm – until DailyMail.com intervened.
Photographer Ruaridh Connellan rushed across the flood water, which was fortunately not dangerously deep, and untied the dog, who wagged her tail and bounded of to safer ground.
Her name now? Lucky – although she still needs a bit more luck to come her way. Lucky was left tied up by her owners on the land where they had been living in a trailer just outside Victoria.
They seemed to have fled, as did all their neighbors.
Whether by accident or design, they left her tied to a post on a leash, where our photographer and reporter her found her on Saturday afternoon.
She was happy to be free and led DailyMail.com to her friends: another dog, a pit bull cross breed, two cats and a small pony.
The pit bull cross was also tied up, but on a longer leach and on the dry land; suggesting that Lucky being tied up in a more dangerous spot may well have been an accident of panicked people fleeing from danger.
Connellan said he couldn’t sleep that night wondering if the pet pooch was OK. And the next day DailyMail.com returned to the trailer.
‘I was happy to see Lucky when I pulled up to the property, she came running out through the fence and greeted and me wagging her tail,’ Connellan said.
‘I fed Lucky some food I had in my car and gave her some fresh water.’
Lucky and the other animals appeared frightened but otherwise safe, for now.
Connellan called the local animal control agency to report the abandoned animals and plans on adopting Lucky if possible. But the authorities are understandably overwhelmed by the scale of the unfolding disaster.
So far DailyMail.com has been unable to trace who was living at the trailer before they left Lucky tied up. She and the other animals had been well-looked after before they left, but they need human attention soon.
Connellan would be happy to step into the breach, after forming a bond with the energetic mongrel.
‘I’d love to take Lucky to live with me in New York. But sadly I’ll have to wait and go through the proper channels.
‘I’m disappointed in people who abandon their animals. I feel good about what I did. There is no doubt in my mind, if I didn’t unleash Lucky from the tree, she would have drowned.’
Do you know Lucky’s owners? Email newsus@mailonline.com
Diana Perez Lujan
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It only would habe taken seconds to untie the dog. Not buying your reasoning.
Marieks Horne
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PLESSE DO NOT RETURN THIS DOGGY TO HIS/HER OWNERS UNLESS THEY REALLY PROMISE THEY WANT THEIR DOGGY BACK OR MAYBE HE OR SHE WILL BE BETTER OFF WITH NEW OWNERS. THERE MUST BE HOUSE CHECKS AS MANY OWNERS JUST TIED THERE DOGGIES TO POLES AND FENCES AS THEY HAD NO INCLINATION OF KEEPING THE DOGGIES
I READ MANY FB PAGES ABOUT HURRYCANE HARVEY HOW THE OWNERS JUST TIED FHEIRe better off maybe with new owners. I read in the past couple of weeks how so many of the owners tied up their doggies on poles and fences hoping that the would drown
Rowena Yap
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I agree with Kim. They left him to die and he deserves a family that won’t abandon him, no maters what
Sarah Casey
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f**k the owners!
Glenda Willis Brayman
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Unless there is a really good reason why they couldn’t get to Lucky. They could have been in a wreck or something else where they couldn’t get to her.
Karen Patterson Hall
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New home
Adam Gainey
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She doesn’t need new owners, she needs to come to my house and get spoiled.
Rowena Yap
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God bless all the rescuers
Denise Jewett Grady
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You deserve Lucky. Owners don’t deserve her. Dogs shouldn’t be tied up any time!!!!!
Diana Perez Lujan
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My pets live better than most people, maybe even you. Not all Americans are irresponsible of their pets.
Christine Goodwin
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Very cruel
Cheryl Baker
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They left her tied to a tree !!!!! Please don’t return her…..PLEASE !!!!
Rafael Jugueta
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Why find it’s owners. They might leave the dog somewhere else again when another disaster happens. Go get some new parents for the dog.
Jared C. Petien
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Right? Why giving her back to those heartless monsters?
Linda M'Liss Smith
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Please have a loving family adopt her. If her owner didn’t untie her they left her to drown..Don’t give her back to them….
K Beets Hickey
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NO to finding the very people who LEFT HER CHAINED UP to a pole to DROWNED…….AND Law Enforcement did absolutely hold a press conference stating clearly that ANYONE chaining their dog or an animal up during extreme conditions WILL BE PROSECUTED! And that is exactly what those who did this….deserve.
Lisa Ilene
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The owners will never be found because they left their dog to die, so why would they confess to that.
Teresa Keys
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I think Lucky needs a NEW owner who won’t leave her behind like trash!!!
Judith Belford
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Yes, find the owners and make sure they never own an animal again.
Dianne Bonecutter Garrett
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Hopefully find the owners and chrage them with abuse/abondonment.
Kirith A Borsato
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Frick that. You would have to peel my dog from cold dead fingers before I would flee and leave him behind. Shameful owners who do not deserve this dog.
Jessica Murcko
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Megan Murcko
Connie Yost Locke
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The owners do not need to have any animals.She should of never been left behind and then they tie her. They are skumbags..
Celly Gillum
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Her owners left her tied up to die.$#%&!@*them! She deserves better people to take care of her.
Robin McDonald
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Is there a way to adopt her?
Martha Beale Wilkins
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The owners should not be allowed to have her back. You can see how much they really cared about her. She needs a new home with someone who will love her.
Rachel Cumbus
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I could be wrong, but isn’t this the same dog who belonged to a little boy? His grandfather was watching the dog and it got out of the fence before it started flooding? If it is, that dog is safe and back with the family.
RJ Kelley
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Priscilla Tankersley ?
Kris Marcuccilli
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Lucky needs a new family that wont leave him behind
Rhonda Morton
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Needs new owners the old ones should be the ones tied to a pole
Jeff Schnier
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My heart goes out to you little fella I hope you find your family . My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and all of Houston
Wanda Miller
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Pleas do not find the owners and give her to someone who will love her
Debbie Cartwright Carruthers
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Lucky needs to go to people who will love her unconditionally and consider her part of the family. Her first owners have forfeited their right to claim her.’
Frances Hanglow-Hogan
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If the dog was just found running the streets u might figure it got out or lost and in the confusion the owner could not find her but this dog was tied up with little hope of survival I say all bets r off with regard to who owned her give her to the guy who risked his safety to save her
Faye Mills
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Lucky needs new owners who would take care of her ,not desert her.
Julie Bauch
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Thank you for saving these animals lives.
Kathleen Patricia
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Wtf. Why would you give her back to monsters. They left her to die. Find her new home.
Davi Houtua
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He needs s new family, not the asswipes who left him tied up in a hurricane to drown!!!!!!!
Julie Bauch
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You deserve to be her new family
K.A. Boy-Er
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Do not give this dog back!!
Mike Ross
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To prosecute I hope!
Faye Mills
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Looks like all agree with me. I should read first
Myra Craig
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I agree with most of the comments on here, Find this one a new Loving home.
Connie Wheeler Rice Nejmeh
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If they left her there chained up, they don’t deserve her back. Leaving her there chained up, automatic death sentence, she would have drowned. Chain the owners to a tree with water all around them
Irina Zapp
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I agree with you 100%!!!
Faye Mills
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Yes
Kelly Louise
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find her owners only if they weren’t the ones that tied this poor baby up. otherwise, new home! i’ll take the cutie <3
Christinia Lucier
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He looks so sweet!
Nicoletta Loewenherz Striano
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Shame on the owner! Do not give the dog back to hm.
Irina Quenga
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That’s exactly my thoughts !!! Once they left her there tied up , they will not care for her. Poor baby. Hope she finds a better home.