Houston husky rescued from Bird Island in dramatic operation
HOUSTON - The dog is now fittingly named Journey. He was on one that could have ended badly. It didn't thanks to social media networking and three determined women.
"I actually try to rescue every dog I see on the road," said Hollie Thiel.
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When Hollie saw the post about a Husky trapped on Bird Island at Exploration Green, she reached out to her Clear Lake boater friends.
"I was a little on the skeptical side whether there would even be a dog on the island," said Dustin Dietrich. "There's poisonous snakes. and there's alligators. and things like that."
But that didn't stop Dustin from getting in his kayak to save the poor pup.
"We had to get permission from one of the park authorities," Dustin said. "They only allowed one of us to actually go out to the island to see."
"The Husky got scared, jumped off the island, and tried to swim back to shore. They tried to catch him while he was swimming, but he was too fast," Hollie said. "There wasn't enough people to intercept him when he got to shore. He did what Huskies do, he ran."
After leaving the island, Journey was on the run for two more days.
"I cornered him in this cul de sac, I jumped out of my car, and he was running. I got in front of him, and said, 'stop,' he literally just sit down, and I was like oh my God! I was able to grab him," said Hollie.
"He needed somewhere to go," said Rhonda McCracken Castro. "He's a good boy and he deserves a chance."
Rhonda is taking care of Journey until a foster and rescue can be found.
Journey's paws are a little burnt, but he appears to be OK.
"People have been donating, which we are really grateful, because he does need food and supplies. And of course, we are going to take him to Bay Glen Animal Hospital on Monday, and we're going to set up a fund there," said Jamie Reece, who also worked on rescuing Journey.
"Going from living out there, being dirty and hungry to make his way to having a good loving home, it's the best hope for him," said Dustin.
Rhonda will miss Journey.
"I'm already starting to tear up," she said. "I'm happy he's alive."
If you are interested in fostering or rescuing Journey, you can e-mail jamie.reece50@gmail.com or by clicking here.