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
Candace Garcia
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Obviously they didn’t care too much about the dog in the first place if they just left all their animals chained up or back at the house to die. So why would they care if u took her.
Pat Kirby Manna
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what kind of moron’s tie a dog to a pole in a freakin flood???? Make him Very Lucky and let him be adopted.
Adaline Ridon
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Thank you
Bryant Catherine
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If they considered their dog as a part of the family there would have been no hesitation about taking the dog with them. If it ever floods in my area you can guarantee my pets would be the first thing I put in the car.
Robin Sizelove Thompson
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Right on!!
Kay Hughes
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Lucky’ owners should be hung In The tree they tied him too!
Sixto DE Jesus-Alvira
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Why find the owners? They do not deserve him. You simply take family with you.
Theresa Giacobbe
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Why would you want to return her? The owner didn’t care if she died being tied to a pole!
Ann O'Rourke
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This family left her to drown. Leaving her like that was certain death. She needs a family that loves her. Her former family sucks!
Sandra Clark Egan
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Hi Lucky. You are adorable!!
Jeremy Mouser
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screw her “owners” give this girl a loving home …..
Linda Salcido
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You know me Gina. I would think of my animals before anything. They would be leaving right along with me.
Anna Wilson-Wood
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Owners don’t deserve her!! They left her TIED to face certain death. Clearly they don’t care about her.
Carol Lively
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Poor dog. She’s adorable
Agnes Mauras
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NOT the owners he doesn’t need that kind of owners any more!☹️☹️
Wanda Neil Davenport
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Was the dog actually tied to the pole? I don’t know the whole story.
Vicki Adams
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What the what! Why in heavens name was she tied to a tree? Oh dear God help these stupid people and don’t return her to these people!
Jennifer Austin
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Do not give her back to her owners. She deserves better. They did not give two sh*ts about her. If they loved her they would have never tied her to a pole. She needs to be with people who will love her unconditionally.
Gerry Frost
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Get a foster home the owners don’t deserve her!
Susie Decker
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THey left her tied up to a tree and you really think these people need to be found to give her back to?
Tash Tomba
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Need to find owners to tie them up
Peyton Shanholtz O'Bannion
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I will take him
Claudia McDermott
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Love to lucky
Laina Bradford
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PRAYING LUCKY FINDS A FOREVER HOME! APPARENTLY THE LAST ONE ABANDONED HIM IN A HURRICANE!
Ellen Price
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Hope they find that person. Probably don’t want to be found. Especially after he left the poor furbaby tied to a pole during a hurricane. Hope the furbaby gets a loving home and not go back to the one who abandoned it.
Terry Meister
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Would love to have him but way to far away
Carol McCauley
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Needs a new family, anyone who would leave there furbaby too the elements dosnt deserve her
Deb Brunelle Charron
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I hope this kind man ends up keeping Lucky!
Deanna Wallace
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I went through an evacuation from a hurricane there’s time to untie a dog
Deanna Wallace
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Pass it on maybe the pup will find a furever home with sometime besides the owners
Donna Daniels-Neer
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piss ed to no end wtf do people leave their animals behind especially in instances like this where the human is a lot more able to survive even if the animal was free. Idiots at lease unleash them so they can try to survive
Sandra M. Smith
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She needs owners that wouldn’t stake her to a tree in rising water. I say let the little girl have a new forever home. She survived, let’s give her a real life full of love & caring.
Dolores McCreery
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I hope you do find her owners but not to give her back to him to find them for doing some of the stupidest most hateful thing in the world to leave a scared dog tied up with water Rising
Kimberly Price
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Prayers for a new forever home with a family that will treasure this sweet baby!
Sandra Martin
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Why did they leave the dog. We deserves a better home.
Jen Dowe
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Jay Hetherington
Pat Davino
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idiots!!! Who ties up a dog in the first place nm leaving it here!!!!
Lttle Champ
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kukur dubo
Nancy J Tiemann
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Thank you to the rescuers. So sad that folks thought it was okay to leave her tied to a tree to die! Shame on those folks!
Linda Mumford
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D0N’T give her/him back to her animal abusers. They should be charged with animal cruelty.
What’s next–tying up their children?
Paula Bray
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KARMA is going to get you for leaving that poor dog like that. Shame on you!!!
Shamseen Rahman
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If you’re gonna leave your pet behind, why the then up? Just get it to some high ground or something Christ
Judith Duma
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I don’t understand how someone could do this… praise God he was rescued.. I hope he gets a good home !! He deserves the best !
Cassandra Willms
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I’m sorry., why would they give her back to the people who clearly don’t give a$#%&!@*about her??
Valerie Hyde
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Wtf why would you want to give this fur baby back to the owners that left the fur baby in the first place no way find this fur baby a loving home
Lisa Burleson-tocci
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Why can’t he just take her?? I would and her friends… So many displaced pets and ones left behind… Go get her …
Katharine Fernstrom
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I think weather channel also has links for these cases
Lorilee Eyre
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I will pray for all of you ok
Tracy Savage
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Please don’t find her owners!
Cindy Rosenberger
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Hopefully since here name is Lucky she will get lucky and lose them.