When Hurricane Laura hit the states of Texas and Louisiana, the storm brought with it lots of devastation. There were numerous dogs and cats who were displaced and separated from their owners as a result of the hurricane. While there are still so many animals waiting to be reunited, there have also been many pets who’ve happily reunited with their families thanks to the endless work of the ASPCA and local animal shelters. One of those heartwarming reunions was between a veteran and his dog.
During the first round of evacuations from the storm, Iraq war vet, Henry Roach, had to make the intensely difficult decision to leave his German Shepherd, Savage, behind. As Roach explained to People, the decision was down to the fact that Roach’s truck simply had no room to fit the pup. Roach had jammed his truck full of people, including his 88-year-old mother, who were counting on him to get them to safety.
Roach had every intension of returning for his dog, but as the Category 4 hurricane ripped through Roach’s hometown of Sulfur, the veteran was unable to return. He then learned from his neighbor that the storm had damaged the fence in his yard. On top of that, Roach was told that Savage had gone missing. He was upset to know that his dog was nowhere to be found, but he remained hopeful that he’d eventually be found.
In the aftermath of the storm, Savage was found and brought into the Calcasieu Parish Animal Services. Savage appeared to be healthy and unharmed. He was then evacuated from the damaged shelter and was taken in by ASPCA’s rescue team.
As the ASPCA posted, “Our disaster response team is dedicated to keeping displaced animals safe and happy while they’re in our care, and we look forward to reuniting more owned pets with their families and helping to find new, loving homes for surrendered and homeless animals.”
It took some time, but Savage was eventually reunited with Roach. The moment that the two best friends saw each other again, it was pure happiness. A very grateful Roach was overcome by emotion at seeing his dog unharmed after his ordeal. And Savage was unable to contain his canine joy at being with his human again.
And that makes us so happy! Hopefully more pets and owners can experience the joy of reunion. What do you think of Savage and Roach’s story? Let us know!
