Severe rain and flooding across the East Coast last fall forced more than a thousand residents to flee their homes. But amid so much devastation and uncertainty, one furry flood victim not only escaped with his life, he made a new friend in the process.
Alex Scroggins was helping his mother and sister gather what they could from their homes in the hard-hit town of Conway, South Carolina, when he spotted a dog barking and whining on a neighbor’s porch. Assuming the animal’s owner was nearby, he and a few friends who were assisting in the effort continued on their way in his small boat. After making several trips, however, with floodwaters continuing to rise, Scroggins noticed the dog was still there and growing more frantic.
He began to wonder if there was anyone to help him after all.
“I asked some neighbors and they said the owner had left the dog there a few days earlier,” Scroggins told The Dodo.
Realizing that the abandoned dog would likely die unless someone intervened, Scroggins stepped in to help.
“I approached him, and he was skittish at first, since his owner had left him high and dry. After I put my hand out and let him get used to me, he calmed down and I pet him. We scooped him up and took him to safety on the boat,” he said. “He was almost without a dry place to stand by the time I found him. That dog was going to be swept out. It would have been only a matter of time before we saw him floating in the river dead.”
Scroggins was able to carry the dog to safety, after which he tried to find a no-kill shelter that might be able to take him in.
“All the shelters around here were completely full, so I decided to bring him home with me for the night,” said Scroggins, who has since named the dog Lucky. “I cleaned him up and fed him. He was so happy to be safe.”
The next day, after talking with some other neighbors, Scroggins learned the person who had left Lucky all alone seemed to have no interest in getting him back. On top of that, this wasn’t the first time one of the owner’s animals needed to be saved from neglect.
“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.”
Although he hadn’t been planning on getting a dog, Scroggins says Lucky will be welcome to live with him from here on out – in fact, he might not have much choice about it either way.
“I feel like he understands what happened, ’cause now he refuses to leave my side,” said Scroggins. “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.”
