Dog Refuses To Leave The Man Who Rescued Him From The Flood

Over a thousand people were forced to leave their homes last fall due to heavy rain and floods throughout the East Coast. But despite all the destruction and uncertainty, one furry flood victim not only managed to survive, but he also acquired a new companion.

In the hard-hit town of Conway, South Carolina, when Alex Scroggins was assisting his mother and sister in salvaging what they could from their homes, he noticed a dog barking and whining on a neighbor’s porch.

Scroggins and his friends continued on their journey in his little boat, assuming the owner of the dog was nearby. Scroggins made several trips, but as the floodwaters became higher, he realized the dog was still there and becoming more agitated.

He started to question whether anybody would still be able to assist him.

“I asked some neighbors and they said the owner had left the dog there a few days earlier,” Scroggins said.

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 a few other neighbors, Scroggins discovered that the person who had abandoned Lucky all by himself didn’t appear to be interested in bringing him back. Furthermore, this was not the first occasion that one of the owner’s animals had 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.”

Scroggins says Lucky is welcome to live with him going forward, even though he hadn’t planned to have a dog; in fact, he might not have much of a choice in the matter.

“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.”