Dog wandered NC after devastation of Helene. Then came the ‘kindness of strangers’
A dog wandered a Western North Carolina neighborhood after Hurricane Helene ravaged his home — then came the “kindness of strangers.”
The pup depended on the strangers before he faced a second blow: being “attacked by a pack of wild dogs.” That’s when a neighbor joined other families in getting him the care he needed, according to the Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina.
“She and her neighbors are all dealing with the aftermath of Helene and it’s amazing they were able to do so much for him while facing such a crisis,” Tara Lynn told McClatchy News in an Oct. 17 email. “She was able to clean him up after the dog attack and had antibiotics for him which definitely helped keep him from getting a bad infection until he could get to a veterinarian.”
The dog made it to safety, and Lynn became his foster mom. The pup, named Moose, is now recovering from his injuries.
“His body may have scars, but his spirit remains strong,” the Raleigh-area rescue wrote in a Facebook post.
Moose is getting a second chance after Hurricane Helene barreled through Western North Carolina in late September. The deadly storm left the mountainous region with catastrophic flooding and wind damage.
“Moose’s world was turned upside down when Hurricane Helene devastated his home in Lake Lure, NC, taking his family and leaving him to fend for himself,” the rescue wrote.
After his post-Helene ordeal, Moose’s foster mom said he “had a deep cut behind his ear and on his leg.” As his stitches heal, he has become known as a friendly dog.
Lynn said the opportunity to become the pup’s foster parent came just as she wondered how she could make a difference in the wake of the “overwhelming” destruction in the North Carolina mountains.
“We had been hoping to foster and considered a few dogs with TBR and another rescue, but nothing seemed quite the right fit,” Lynn wrote. “I think it was God’s timing that had us wait until Moose needed our help.”
As of Oct. 18, Lynn was scheduled to talk to a potential adopter. Future updates about Moose’s adoption status may be posted at facebook.com/tribeagles.
Lake Lure is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Asheville.
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Dog wandered NC after devastation of Helene. Then came the ‘kindness of strangers’."
