He was skin and bones when rescuers found him more than a month after Hurricane Dorian leveled the northern Bahamas, but now he’s found a home and loving family in Palm Beach County, Fla.
Named “Miracle,” the emaciated dog was trapped under an air conditioner and other debris from a collapsed building in Marsh Harbor on Sept. 1. A drone with infrared technology helped a rescue team find him in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane and get him immediate medical treatment.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee, Fla., received more than 10,000 adoption offers along with cards, gifts and photographs from as far away as England, Germany and Australia, said founder and president Lauree Simmons.
“Many suggested that we keep Miracle as a sort of mascot for the ranch, but that is not what we’re about,” she said in a statement. “Today Miracle will be going home with his new family.”
Clark and Briana Beaty and their three daughters — Jayne, 8, Kate, 5, and Clare, 3 — won out, Simmons said.
“When we saw the way Miracle bonded with the kids they rose to the top of our list,” she said.
The Beatys met in the Bahamas and married about 10 years ago. Clark Beaty grew up in the islands but the storm destroyed his family home in the Abacos.
The dog’s recovery has been almost as miraculous as his survival.
Trapped under debris, he lapped up rainwater from a mud puddle that introduced parasites into his system. He had cuts to his mouth and body from trying to chew his way out of the pile. He contracted a respiratory infection and suffered muscle atrophy from lack of movement.
Miracle could barely eat or walk when rescued but steady, round-the-clock treatment and rehabilitation got him back on his feet.
Simmons said Big Dog Ranch Rescue has saved about 36,000 dogs over the years. Since Hurricane Dorian, the organization has delivered more than 100,000 pounds of pet food and medical supplies to the Bahamas. Over 162 dogs have been rescued and 69 have been reunited with their families, she said.
