Joe Garcia is a resident of Spring, Texas; for the past several days, his community and surrounding areas have been ravaged by Hurricane Harvey. He waited patiently for a rescue boat to arrive to save him from his flooded home.
As he waded through the chest-high water, he pushed a tub of his belongings to the safety of the rescue vessel. He immediately turned around to grab one more thing — his dog Heidi.
Joe lovingly carried Heidi, making sure her head stayed above the floodwater. The beautiful moment was captured by a photographer with The Associated Press.
Mr. Garcia wasn’t the only person in southern Texas who refused to leave their pets behind. Thousands of people have been left without homes, many of them have furry loved ones that are just as important as any other member of the family.
A woman named Belinda Penn wouldn’t let her two dogs, Winston and Baxter, leave her side. A Shih Tzu and a terrier, the two dogs, are Belinda’s two best friends. She woke up one morning, and there was water filling the entire first floor of her home.
Belinda and her husband grabbed their two dogs and ran up to the second floor to wait for a rescue boat. The dogs were terrified, but they were safe.
When the boats finally arrived, Belinda, her husband, and their two pups were whisked to safety, with just garbage bags to carry all of their belongings.
“Every situation is different, but for us, it was not an option to leave our pets behind,” Ms. Penn said. “They are my best friends.”
Lots of pet owners tragically lost their beloved pets because of Hurricane Harvey, but thankfully — many were rescued. A few incredible moments were captured on camera.
Take a look at some breathtaking photos of people doing anything that can to keep their pets from being a casualty of the storm.
A couple carries their dogs in a cooler as they seek refuge at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
A man named Isiah Courtney uses his strength to carry his big dog, named Bruce, to safety.
Naomi Coto doesn’t think twice about putting her dog Simba on her shoulders as they wade through the floodwaters.
Finally making it to higher ground, a woman clings to her little dog after evacuating her home.
The heartbreak can be felt in Sam Speights’s eyes as he looks around at the devastation of his home. His dogs are trying their best to comfort him.
A man named Andrew White assists a neighbor and a dog escape from the chaotic scene.
A woman and her poodle stay afloat on the floodwaters by using an air mattress. A rescue helicopter can be seen in the distance.
A rescue boat whisks John and Cathy Cservek, and their dogs Lacy and Iggy, to safer grounds.
Volunteers assisted in the efforts to help bring their pets to dry ground.
Carrying all that they could grab, devastated families flee their homes in the wake of the tragedy.
This dog is captured experiencing the moment of going from danger to safety. Those eyes say it all.
Soaked to the bone — they are grateful that they at least have each other.
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