Emaciated Dog Found Alive Under Debris 3 Weeks After Hurricane Dorian: 'It’s a Miracle He Survived'
One month after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas, rescuers have found a dog still alive and trapped under the debris.
Members from Big Dog Ranch Rescue traveled to the area to help relief efforts, and on Friday, one of their drones detected a tiny patch of heat. Making their way through the destruction — left in the wake of what is now the most intense tropical storm on record to strike the Bahamas — workers found an emaciated pup trapped between broken appliances.
“There was a dead dog next to him that didn’t make it,” Big Dog founder Lauree Simmons told The Palm Beach Post. “It’s amazing he’s still wagging his tail.”
RELATED: Hundreds of Shelter Pets Die During Hurricane Dorian Flooding at Bahamas Animal Rescue
In a video taken by the ranch, rescuers work to lift the appliances off the dog, who was too weak to bark for help or even stand up. Once out from the debris, they rushed the skeletal pup to a makeshift pet trauma unit where they gave him an antibiotic injection and a water. From there, they flew him to their ranch in Florida, where he was treated by veterinarians.
“He’s nothing but skin and bones,” Simmons said. “It’s a miracle he survived.”
It's a Miracle! This dog was found under a pile of AC units in Marsh Harbour. It's believed he was there for over three weeks. Emaciated, he is now getting care and was rescued by @BDRRescue#TasteSeeSoFla @WPTV pic.twitter.com/rxVvkfXd3N
— T.A. Walker (@timallanwalker) October 4, 2019
They decided to call him Miracle, and he’s now recovering in their care. He is the 138th dog to be rescued from the Bahamas by Big Dog Ranch since Hurricane Dorian, and Simmons says there are still so many more waiting for help.
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“It’s not over,” Simmons said. “People need help. Animals need help. There are so many piles of debris from torn-down houses, and animals are hiding under it because they are so scared.”
Time is running out, for more reasons than one. While some volunteers and rescuers work to clear the debris with “bulldozers,” Simmons said this could harm animals who are buried and too weak to let people know they are there — like Miracle.
“The bulldozers are coming,” she explained. “They’re bulldozing everything.”
The category 5 hurricane struck the Bahamas last month, leaving at least 50 people dead and hundreds more missing.
