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
Rosemary Silverheels
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If they tie her UP AND LEFT HER THEY DONT DESERVE HER BACK. LORD JESUS PLEASE HELP THIS BABY FOUND A LOVING FAMILY AND HOME ON YOUR NAME AMEN.
Kirby Allen Wooldridge
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My house was in the middle of a fire storm a few yrs back they came and said to
Leave I saw all
The neighbors leaving without their animals the cop said go I said nope went to every house put out sprinklers and turned them on the fire jumped the road but I did what I could !! I stayed anyway !!
Theresa Reeves Milburn
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Why would u give those animals back
Keesha Kocyon
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The owners should have drowned!
Katrina Louise Leeser
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Screw finding the owners. If your best idea is to leave your dog tied up without any means of escape, you probably don’t need a dog.
Rachael McCulloch
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DO NOT FIND THE OWNERS; THEY DON’T DESERVE HER!
Kathy Kuznecov
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She doesn’t need her owners. They left her to die. She needs a new owner.
Kathy M Coleman
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Lucky needs new owners.
Marcia Leibold
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The owners don’t deserve to get this dog back. They left him to drown.
Silvia Cantarini
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No se lo merecen si no les importó y lo abandonaron atado para un final dolorosisimo no es mejor que lo adopte un humano responsable y que realmente pueda tener un hogar y cuidado. Se lo merece es mi opinión
Ida Thompson
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Do not give this dog back to anyone who would do such a horrible thing. Find her a new home.
Courtney Nievergelt
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Why does the article keep calling her a mongrel?? She is a beautiful dog!
Veronica Cruz
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Please Don’t give her back to owners !!!!
Cindy Cat Garcia Reeves
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She needs new owners. They let the baby to drown in the flood!
Jacki Naethuys
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Gabby Naethuys
Cindy Lange
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Not that I know everyone’s situation but a lot of punks left they’re dogs and animals behind.And EVEN tied them up to drowned! I have eight dogs I’d drowned with them if there was no way for me to take them! But I would find a way! They are family!
Cindy Lange
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I’m glad people are feeling the same way I do about this! Give that dog a LOVING home!
Becky Bates
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I hope they do find the owners & charge them with animal cruelty, abandonment. They don’t deserve any animals.
Ruben Contreras
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This dog need a family who will NOT abandon her! She needs a TRUE FOREVER family!
Sue Smith
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Give her to people who won’t leave her tied to a tree, poor little girl
Audrey Elizabeth Redfern-Janus
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Sorry, but if her owners left her there to die she needs new owners that will love her and not leave her behind to die. I could never, ever do that to a poor helpless animal. Shame on them.
Tamie Rives
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He needs a new owner that thinks he is family .
Diane Napora
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Find the owners and slap them
Rose Marie
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Keep her,there’s a new law,abusers of PETS now have to be put on a LIST same as SEX AFFENDERS!!!
Donna Mielenz
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why in the world would anyone give that dog back to the people who left her tied to a pole to die smh
Julie Rhea Bell
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these idiots do not deserve to have a pet. I would leave my husband before I’d leave my little dogs.
Becky Kerstetter
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They left the fkn dog behind!!! Find her a better home!!!
Kim Lewis
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I’m kind of thinking her owners may be a bit camera shy because folks aren’t going to be kind about leaving their dog tied up like that.
Sandy Lima
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The owners don’t deserve that dog unless you are pressing animal cruelty charges
Mike Shinavier
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Screw the owners, adopt him out to someone who cares.
Crystal Clark
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They should not be returned to owners!!! They left them tied with no cover even. Like they didn’t even think to give them the basics or even half a thought. F’ that. They need a new home.
Lynne Karran
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they obviously have no idea,tied up he drowns,but has a chance if he can swim
Constanza Estevez
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They left her to die and now they are looking for her owners???? Is this a joke
Laura Elder
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If they left her tied to a tree in a storm, they don’t deserve to have her back
Pamela Ellison
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Why so we can tie them to a post and leave them. This was so cruel in so many levels
Marlene Thompson
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Hope she her family.
Ike Waver
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Hope they do and punish them severely.
Denise Condreay
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Her owners left her behind…she deserves better people.
Lesley Helen Dunn
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Pug Lovers have you gone mad? asking people to help find the prior owners, people who love their pets would never have let this happen, what you think this is ok?
Mara Roberts
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For the dogs sake don’t give her back to her owners! They clearly don’t love her!
Celina Adams
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Ill find the owners just to slap them across the face!!!!!! They dont deserve to have this dog!!
Maria Reyes
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He deserves better parents
Maria Reyes
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If u were in that situation my baby will go with me or we will not move
Karen Graham
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Exactly why would you want to find the family? Obviously they didn’t care enough to bring him along with them. They abandoned him there. Find him a family that will care and love him!
Jackie Poland Marchese
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Shame on your owners. glad your safe Lucky
Tina Stewart
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lucky needs a family not “owners” let left her to die in the flood. Family doesn’t just leave family and that is what she needs. Luckily she was saved, let us not put her back in the same none caring hands that almost cost her her life.
Crystal Silver
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Amen
Jerry Jarrell
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Tether to a pole? I wouldn’t look to reunite them, maybe charge them…
Linda Ardaiuolo Griswinski
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Don’t give this baby back to the dummy who tied it to a poll ,please
Joan Napoletano
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Owners dont deserve her back