Hurricane Ian recently wreaked havoc across the Caribbean and southeast United States, and one canine victim of the catastrophic storm has been having an especially rough time of it.
The Lake County Animal Shelter in Florida recently took in a German Shepherd mix found roaming in the aftermath of the storm. It seems that he got separated from his family in the chaos, and to make matters worse he narrowly escaped death in an alligator attack.
It seems that the gator got a hold of his tail and managed to bite a significant portion of it off. The shelter's medical team was thankfully able to perform an emergency amputation on the remains of his tail, and he's currently recovering and being treated with antibiotics to ensure that the remains of his tail don't get infected.
However his troubles aren't yet over, as the shelter has as yet been unable to contact his humans.
Some Facebook commenters have speculated that the dog may be stray or feral, however according to the shelter his mannerisms around people tell them that he's definitely someone's pet, and they'd love to get him home.
Lake County Animal Shelter estimates that the dog is five or six years old, and says that he was found by animal control last Friday, on State Road 44 near Seminole Springs Road in Eustis.
So far nobody has been in touch to claim him, however that may not be surprising considering the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. And so while finding the dog's family is the shelter's priority, they add that, "A great second option if his family is not found would be a rescue that helps dogs of his size or breed."
If you recognize this dog or can help him find a suitable foster home, please contact the Lake County Animal Shelter on (352) 343-9688.
