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
Robin Robin
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My pets would be in my arms never tied up to a pole!!!
Darlene Robbins
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Don’t find the owners…she needs a loving caring family not a family who keeps her chained in a flood
Shelby Clark
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Forget owners. Find new loving home for her.
Melissa Byrd Thomas
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They dont deserve her. Tieing her to that pole like that. Find her a new loving home
Laura Newman
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Oh poor baby!! 🙁 so glad she’s in your hands!
Linda Hodor
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His owners don’t deserve him.
They left him, find new loving family
Pat Sills
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Yay
Jane Casselden Harber
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I wouldn’t let the owners have the dog back as they didn’t care about it when it was tied up to drown
Mary Catherine O'Brien
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I definitely WILL NOT help to find the owner! You’re nuts! Why? So that the next time the dog is inconvenient, they can throw it in a river, which, by the way, is essentially what they did. Not a chance!
Angie Howell
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We need to find her NEW owners, not give her back to those idiots
Charles Morley
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Yeah, find her owners and send them to jail. Scum!
Aileen Hicks
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Do not give this dog back to the same people who left her tied. Total low life Idiots
Sreeja S
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Don’t send her back to them.. They abandoned her
Tracey Ann Widdows
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Sorry!!! They tied her up and left her there
WTF did they think would happen to her. She needs rehoming with someone who will care for her and not leave her in danger of drowning!!
Jeanne LeClair
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Owners who left a dog tied up to die? Never give her back.
Elena Arena
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Highly doubt he tied himself to the poll ,So would make you think they are awaiting to reunite with him seriously who are you fooling . He needs a new Loving!!!!!!!! Family
Heather Donaldson
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She needs NEW owners, not the pieces of$#%&!@*that left her there.
Sheri Ritter
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Thats a horrible sin. Poor dog. Old owners don’t need this baby!
Sharon Benard DeLuca
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I wouldn’t give her back to he owners as they left he to die. They should not be allowed to have animals. Find her a good loving home!
Michelle Hal
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Find a newnowner please
Laura Hasson Reichensperger
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The owners don’t deserve this dog
Lynette Clayden
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I agree find them & fine them. They don’t deserve this precious pup. Thanks to those who rescued her. Pray she has a loving family in her future.
Giovanna Piccolina
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Those “owners” dont deserve him. They left him tied up to a tree.
Let him fobd ownets who care.
NOT SHARED.
Donna Mae
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Find the owner to prosecute
Melanne Keim
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Why would you find her owners….they tied her up outside and left her. That is animal abuse. They need to be charged.
Vicki Hedger Mitchell
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They left him and don’t deserve him❤
Barbara Cychosz Troutt
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Owners left the baby…no need to go back there
Diego Erazo Villao
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He doesn’t need to find his “owners” for they abandoned him, what he needs to find is a home where he will be loved and be taken care of and not be left behind at the first sign of disgrace…
Deborah Stubbs Piel
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OMG. Find her new responsible owners! Who in their right mind would chain a dog in a flood? He would be safer by finding his own land space than perhaps could have drowned
Darren Portman
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Bless
Candace Kroll
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I hope the owner DOESN’T find the poor little guy…..get a new owner that won’t leave you no matter what!
Brenda Goodwill
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Her owners do not Deserve her are you freaking kidding me, What the hell is wrong with you people. I hope they are worse off than she was rotten people!
Tina Hueske
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Maybe to charge her owner with abuse!
Jan Bergeron
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Don’t give her back . Who but an abuser would tie this baby up
Maribel Alfaro Neri
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Why woukd you give him back to them. Clearly they don’t care about him one bit! Give it to a rescue so they could find him some good humans
Virginia Henry
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Same here. Our Pug Bella would be with us. Would not leave her at all.
Dona Males Becchelli
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Yeah, find her owners and question them harshly
Matt Giberson
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So they can abandon her again
Anna 'flossie' Harding
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Please find her a new loving home how sad bless her x
Christian Rava
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Screw her owners. They left her to die. Find a better home for this poor dog.
Sue Breckon
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Are you insane ?? Yea find the owners and put them in jail Better yet tie them to a tree
Vickie Baker
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I wouldn’t give her back!! Ppl who leave her tied up in a hurricane don’t deserve to have her back!!!
Bethanie Walker
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Let’s not find the owners since they decided to leave their dog!!! Find someone who will actually take care of this baby
Manja Snyder
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Hopefully find them to prosecute.
Nancy Powell
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I certainly wouldn’t want her owners to get her back. They would probably just let he r go again. They don’t deserve her!
Ginger Sizemore
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I was thinking the same thing.
Heather Katherine
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Find Lucky a new home that will not leave him behind
Ross Jenkins
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They do need to find the owner and plaster their face everywhere. Never give the dog back though.
Connie Williams
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I just don’t get how anyone could do this to a pet!!!!! Thank God someone saved this little guy. Many blessing to them!
Karen Mattingly
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Exactly what I was thinking!!!