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
Dan Foley
- Edit
Nope she needs new owners how dare you not take your dog. That would be the first thing I take with me everything else can be replaced not loved ones.
Patsy Rendon
- Edit
Please do not return to people who left her to die!
Anabell Wilson
- Edit
Yes definitely he need new owner
Alice Dodge
- Edit
Thanks for saving her hope she finds her owners or maybe someone who really wants her not chained to a pole outside
Jacalyn Martinez
- Edit
Do not give this dog back to his former owners. They tied him to a pole and abandoned him. He needs a new loving home.
Theresa Smith Pinder
- Edit
DO NOT give her back to the owners. They are to stupid to be able to take care of this poor baby properly.
Deborah Howard
- Edit
I think he needs a new owner
Victoria Skerritt
- Edit
Oh yeah look for the POS owners, but only so they can be prosecuted for animal cruelty. Sick a$$holes!!!
Brenda Rosa
- Edit
Thanks Connellan for everything you did to help
Its so sad what everyone there is going through especially the animals. I have cried to see them so petrified in so much water. Thanks again for helping them. God bless you. And please let us know if you were able to keep LUCKY
Sally Spikes
- Edit
Love your answer. Why would you search for owners? She was tied and left to drown.Find her the loving home she deserves.
Janet Marsh Franks
- Edit
Please don’t give this precious animal back to her owners. Adoption please!
Caroline de Rijk
- Edit
I agree
Lorraine Barringer
- Edit
What a sweet baby! Please give to loving new owners, not heartless owner who left her to die! Charges please!
Terry Pearl Grau
- Edit
Her “owners” don’t deserve her.
Brandy Evans
- Edit
Find the owners that left her tied to a tree during a hurricane?? I think not!
Arlene J. Secrist
- Edit
Perhaps she needs new owners !
Marie Von Dyl
- Edit
You shut up troll.
Sherry Vickers
- Edit
They left this poor little dog.
Vicki Zahniser
- Edit
They tied her up to die she couldn’t get away heartbreaker
Del Robinson
- Edit
If Lucky is lucky, he will find a better family.
Sandra Magness Moore
- Edit
Why, they tied her up to a tree
Craig Wells
- Edit
Seems like his owners left him to drown
Avery Eugene Franch
- Edit
Dont give that dog back to his owners after what they did….
Minaker Traci
- Edit
Hope his rescuer gets him
Terry Biggert Sullivan
- Edit
Don’t think the owners want him back if they left him tied up like this. So sad! He needs owner s that wouldn’t do this.
Kerry Miller Takacs
- Edit
I hope that he does!
Oscar Delgado
- Edit
if someone can bring him to Juarez Mexico I’ll adopt him c:
Karen O'Rourke
- Edit
Really?they left her to die
Karmen Sanddval
- Edit
Not sharing, they don’t deserve him!! Find him a home where people really love him.
Brandy Thomas
- Edit
Maybe Lucky needs new owners!! Someone who doesn’t leave him behind tied up. 🙁
Catalina Toma
- Edit
I don’t think she should go back to her former owners. They left her to die, tied to a tree. This lovely baby deserves a real second chance, a loving family!
Debbie Blossom
- Edit
she needs new owners if that is what the former owners did. absolutely awful.
Wanda Jackson
- Edit
They don’t deserve to have him back, leaving him tied to a pole, how cruel.
Suzanne Pflum Girard
- Edit
I couldn’t and wouldn’t leave my pets behind.
Alicia Young-Spint
- Edit
Dam right.
Sandra Kitterman
- Edit
Why would anyone tie a dog and leave it to drwon. Hope you find a good home for this beautiful dog.
Julianne Marie
- Edit
She needs a new mom and dad!!!!!
Tysann Heard
- Edit
They are trying to find out who owns the dog to charge the owners. I hope they find them and make then pay for this idiotic crap
Dian Davis
- Edit
Why find the owners they left the poor dog to drown.
Cindy Yarbrough
- Edit
Why should we find that baby owners they left that baby there to die did not even think about that baby they need a big fat fine
Vicki Sarske
- Edit
Why find the owners? Fine them yes!!!
Joel Actually Fran Rus
- Edit
This dog should be placed in a new home, you do not tie an animal up and leave it. Really. Use your head.
Lorraine Madore Holbrook
- Edit
Dont give her back to the people that left her to die.
Nina Melencio
- Edit
The owners left her to die. They shouldn’t get her back.
Sue Wendling
- Edit
Hey they left her behind! She needs new owners.
Christine Gonet
- Edit
Lucky’s owners left her. They don’t deserve to get her back!
Dana Summerfield
- Edit
Candice
Vicki Clark
- Edit
Mongrel owners – dont deserve the poor dog. Thanks for saving him.
Michaela Dorn
- Edit
I think Lucky needs to find new owners, because the last ones she had were not worthy.
Dana Lynn
- Edit
Why look for owners that tethered her to a pole. My dogs wood have been with me, not tethered to a pole….shame on anyone trying to put this dog back with someone who would leave her behind tethered to drown