What's Hot

ImpactAnimalsTexasBiological Sciences

10 Extraordinary Animal Rescues In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Harvey

Bats, birds, dogs, horses and pigs have all been saved from rising floodwaters.
Lee Moran
By 

Reporter, HuffPost

LOADINGERROR LOADING

All creatures great and small are being saved from the devastating fallout of Hurricane Harvey.

As well as helping more than 13,000 people to safety, rescuers across Texas have also plucked a plethora of animals out from the rising floodwaters.

Tear-jerking viral videos and photographs show bats, birds, cows, dogs, horses and pigs all being hauled to firmer ground.

Here are 10 of the most heartwarming rescue stories we’ve seen so far:

1
Evacuation Of Pets
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
This image of Naomi Coto carrying her dog, Simba, on her shoulders as she was forced to evacuate her Houston home on Sunday is just one of hundreds of pictures which show the lengths that many pet owners went to to save their pets.
2
Residents Save Bats From Their Waterlogged Home
Residents in Houston came to the aid of a colony of 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats who live under the Waugh Bridge. As the water levels of the river below began to rise, many of the animals were washing up dead, reports CBS News. As this video shows, locals bandied together to scoop up the creatures and transport them to safety.
3
Harvey The Hurricane Hawk
This hawk, whose since been called Harvey after the superstorm, flew into Houston cab driver William Bruso's vehicle to escape the storm and then refused to leave. After Bruso's attempt at shooing the bird away failed, he took it inside his home and fed it chicken hearts. The hawk has since been placed with a licensed rehabilitator.
4
Police Cattle Drive
Police officers in Dayton, Texas, became impromptu cattle herders when they rounded up these cows who had become displaced by the storm.
5
Screeching Pig Saved From The Rising Water
Rescuers pulled this plucky pig from floodwaters in Houston on Monday. Fox 26 reporter Greg Groogan shared footage of the screeching animal online, which has since gone viral.
6
'Oh My God, You Saved Its Life'
These men plucked a dog out of the water just as it swam past their boat. "Oh my God, you saved its life," a woman is heard saying in the clip after they hauled the animal onto their craft. The dog has since reportedly been reunited with its owner.
7
Teenager Saves Horse Locked Inside Flooded Pen
This video of Rowdy Chance, 17, bravely forcing open a pen door to save a trapped horse in Cleveland, Texas, has garnered more than 10 million views.
8
Police Officers Save Dogs From Flooded Shelter
Chambers County Sheriff's Office shared this powerful footage of its officers rescuing dogs from a flooded animal shelter in Hankamer, Texas, on Tuesday.
9
Stranded Dogs Saved From Flooded Neighborhood
Volunteer rescuers pitched in to save these adorable dogs, called Frankie and Bear, who were spotted sat inside a boat in a flooded Houston neighborhood.
10
Photographer Saves Abandoned Dog Tied To A Post
A photographer for DailyMail.com helped rescue this dog, which he spotted tethered via its leash to a post. Ruaridh Connellan reportedly leapt into the water and untied the pooch, which he’s since named Lucky.

Before You Go

Hurricane Harvey Aftermath

Lee Moran - Reporter, HuffPost

Reporter, HuffPost

Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how.

Go to Homepage
Close

Gift Guides