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
Elaine Green-Pereira
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Why would you give the dog back they left the poor dog in the first place they are apart of the family sorry the dog deserves better love and care
Christopher Spray
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Yes, I’m so cold and heartless that I decided to dedicate my life to helping others and saving souls.
God bless. I’m not commenting further.
Laura DeVries
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Wish we knew who tied her up.. it’s just awful.. poor dear.. thanks for saving her
Marie Romantini
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This dog needs new owners. Totally unacceptable to tether a dig to a pole when they are fleeing from a hurricane.
Julie Boyko
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Why would anyone do this? Karma to who did this
Tom Mileto
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God bless him
Gail Tunks
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why?? to shoot them??
Connie Rhodes Simmons
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NOPE, not going to share. Her owners left her to drown!!!!! If they didn’t care enough to take her with them, they should not have left her tied up to drown! NOPE…..
Adrianna Attwood
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I hope the only reason they want to find the owners is so they can prosecute them.
June Airgood
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I will adopt
Loreli Calabria
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Oh my another Bella here…plus a pittie & a hound…I’d never leave my babies behind. That dog was tied up & left to die.
Lisa Thibodeau
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I agree with you 110%. She needs a new home with people who will love her and not desert her.
Carol Bales
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My thoughts exactly!
Sandra Hezeltine
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I think the owners do deserve to have their animals back and should be punished
Sandra Hezeltine
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Do not deserve their animals back
Carole Jean Barnes
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W
Don’t return her to the owners. The heartless people tied her to a tree. She deserves an owner who cares about her.
Dana Stockhill
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Pretty sure when you tie your dog up during a hurricane and leave it to fend for himself, you’ve given up all rights to him. Hope he finds a more lovable home.
Nancy Bradbury
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Why would you return this dog to owners who left her tied up to die????
Nancilyn Parker
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Her owners don’t deserve her”
Jennifer Yo You Frazen
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Exactly…makes me so mad…
Ang M. Sandoval
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Don’t give her back tk the people who left her. She deserves people who love her
Linda Iannacone Paslawsky
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Poor baby! So glad she was saved!
Lorie Emily Otie
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The owner shouldn’t get the dog back , tied up to a telephone pole come on.
Eileen Bussey
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Poor baby.
Delaynee Parsley
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Well no body knows what happens to the owners who know they could have died. Think things through before you start accusing
Cherie Lewis
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This dog needs NEW owners!!!!
Michelle Bell
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Your poor beagle. Why can’t you care for both human and animals. Your heartless. I will pray for you.
Sandy McHenry Coldwell
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Oh hell to the no I won’t share this. Poor little fur baby. She deserves parents who protect her at any cost, not tie her up and abandon her. I know I shouldn’t judge without knowing the story behind this but I’m pretty sure that whomever tied her up, didn’t say “Don’t worry girl, I’ll be right back”
Georgiana White
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Don’t give back to owners! He was left to die! Screw them!
Lori Burke
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If she was left out they should. Not get her back and tied up
Lori Burke
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Who leaves there dog out in the rain
Rufus Roughnut
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If that’s how they treated this kid, then the only to find the owners, is to conduct a public flogging.
Lynn Smith
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I would say new owners are a definite requirement
Nicole Melin
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Don’t really think the owners deserve to get her back. Find that sweet dog a better family.
Kim Young
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Those spineless cowards, pathetic, sorry excuses for a human beings do not deserve to get her back!!!!
Shannon Carpenter
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I wish he was mine!
Rich Corcoran
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F those A/Holes
Stephanie Tyrrell
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Only find the owners to charge them with animal cruelty
Sharon Henderson
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Why would you want to give him back to the people that abandoned him and left him tired up and helpless.
Barbara Beckman Burak-Pinnola
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This pup needs new owners. How could anyone who loved their dog tie him up so he could drown. Despicable
Cheryl Mullican
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Why would he go back to them when they left him to drown.
Cheryl Mullican
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Agreed
Kate Symonds
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hey – this dog needs to be rehomed
Cheryl Ann Mason
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She needs a new home and her owners need to be prosecuted for leaving her to die
Kim Young
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My animals will always come first. These spineless cowards that ties their dog up & left that poor baby do not deserve to own any pets. Someone should tie them up & leave them and see how they like it. Pathetic excuses for human beings
Linda Williams
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Wow as a priest you above anyone should realize that anyone tying a helpless dog to a pole & ensuring NO CHANCE for that animal to attempt to save itself is morally disgusting. That is not putting dogs above humans that’s being a monster. I hope the guidance you give to the members of your church is better than what you have expressed here. Shame on you.
Renee Hollis Taylor
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Wrong….needs to find NEW owners. The old owners who LEFT her….DOES NOT deserve her.
Dewey Barnes Jr.
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f**k the owners
Linda Wagner
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Owners do not deserve the cute pup.
Belinda Tipton Pendleton
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Her owners don’t deserve her!!! I heard the photographer that save her wants to adopt her and it seems like that would be a much better home!!!