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 off to safer ground.
Her name now? Lucky – although she still needs a bit more luck to come her way.
Before: A terrified dog was spotted by DailyMail.com photographer Ruaraidh Connellan as record-breaking flood waters rose around her just outside of Victoria
Almost safe: Connellan made his way across the flood water to help rescue the dog, who was tethered to the pole
My hero: Connellan named the dog Lucky and when he went back 24 hours after saving her she ran up to him and wanted to play
When Connellan visited the property the next day, Lucky ran out and greeted him while wagging her tail. He brought the pup food and fresh water
Just look at her now: Connellan spent the night worrying about Lucky, but when he returned she seemed to be in good spirits
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.’
