In the event of a flood, the things you worry about most are
yourself, your children, and of course, your animals. When extreme rain and
flooding took place last fall across the East Coast, thousands of people had to
flee their homes. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for one dog who got left behind.
When Alex Scroggins of Conway, South Carolina was helping his sister and mother
collect all they could from their devastated homes, he noticed a dog whining
and barking on a nearby porch. He assumed the animal’s owner was close by and
continued his efforts (along with a few friends) on his small boat. But as the floodwaters
continued to rise, the dog remained on the porch and it looked like no one was coming
to save him.
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Scroggins asked around and learned that the dog’s owner had
left him there a few days earlier. The dog was becoming more frantic and scared
by the minute. Scroggins knew he needed to help or the abandoned dog would die
on that porch. (The Dodo).
When he approached the dog, Scroggins said he was a bit
skittish at first but once he put his hand out, the dog calmed down and let
Scroggins pet him. He picked him up and led him to safety on the boat. By the
time Scroggins rescued the dog, whom he named “Lucky”, he barely had a dry place
to stand and easily would’ve been swept out if left there any longer. (The Dodo).
Scroggins was able to carry Lucky to safety and began
looking for no-kill shelters for him to stay. But thanks to the severe flooding and destroyed homes,
all shelters were completely full. Scroggins decided to bring Lucky home
with him for the night where he cleaned him up and fed him. “He was happy to be
safe,” Scroggins said. (The Dodo).
The following day, Scroggins learned after talking with some
neighbors that the person who abandoned Lucky had no interest in getting him
back. And to make matters worse, this wasn’t the first time one of their
animals needed rescuing.
"The owner who left the dog knows I have him, but he
doesn't care. He didn't even ask about him," said Scroggins. "He had
another dog before that needed to be rescued by the Humane Society because he
left him tied to a tree outside without food. I don't think he cared if Lucky
would die out there. He had time to come get him, but he didn't. Who would do
that? I'd get my dog before I got anything else." (The Dodo).
Scroggins never planned on getting a dog but as luck would
have it, Lucky will never have to worry about being abandoned again. Although he may not have had much of
a choice. Scroggins says Lucky seems to understand what happened and refuses to leave Scroggins side.
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"It makes me feel better knowing the dog
is in a better place than he was. If you see someone in need of help and you
can do something, then do something — that goes for people and animals. If you
can help out, try. That's what I hope people take away from this."
(The Dodo).