Dog left for dead in Texas floods now safe, dry and ready for new home

By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - A dog chained to a house and found neck-deep in flood waters in a Houston-area home has been saved by a local sheriff and will soon be up for adoption, an animal rescue group said on Friday. Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls discovered Archer, a 2-year-old female border collie mix, tied to a front porch at a home about 30 miles southwest of Houston this week, nearly submerged in murky flood waters. Archer was rescued by boat and brought to the Houston Humane Society, covered in a greasy film from the waters, with her tail tucked between her legs, said spokeswoman Monica Schmidt. "By the ring around her neck, you can tell she was chained outside for some time," Schmidt said. Several people have expressed interest in providing Archer a permanent home once she is given a clean bill of health and cleared for adoption. "She is a fantastic dog and deserves so much better than what she had," Schmidt said. Archer's original owner has not come forward, but could face animal abandonment charges. "This is infuriating," Sheriff Nehls wrote on his public Facebook page. "These residents will get a visit from me when they return." His office has also helped round up livestock and take it to higher ground to avoid floods that sent the Brazos River to levels not seen for a century in the county. "Awww she's so sweet, now she'll get a home with someone who truly cares for her," Houston resident Billye Dagle wrote on the sheriff's Facebook page. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by David Gregorio)