When you welcome a dog into your life, you expect joy, not uncertainty. Yet sometimes, the most defining moments are the hardest ones—when you realize just how much your dog means to you.
Erin Dogouet, a rancher in Texas, recently faced one of those moments when her longtime livestock guardian, Ziva, vanished.
To make matters worse, Ziva disappeared during a flood that swept across the ranch, leaving Erin fearing the worst. But thanks to Ziva’s strength and a GPS collar, hope wasn’t lost.
Trapped For 16 Hours In Rising Waters
Erin had traveled to Colorado, unaware that her dog’s life was about to take a dangerous turn.
She left Ziva and hundreds of ranch animals in the care of her sister Shannon and pet sitter Taelyn. Then, disaster struck.
Ziva, ever vigilant in her role as protector, chased a wild animal to the far edge of the ranch near a river. But with severe flooding hitting Texas, her pursuit quickly became a nightmare.
Ziva ended up stranded in a flooded gully. The river surged ahead of her, and the other three sides were too steep and slippery to climb. She was trapped, just inches from disaster.
“Ziva was found trapped in a flooded gully along the flooded Medina River. The roaring river blocked any escape back home, and the three other sides were too steep and slick for her to climb out on her own,” said Erin, as reported by People.
Luckily, Ziva wore a GPS collar so her owner was able to track her down. Once Erin learned her dog was missing, she used the tracking app to guide Shannon and Taelyn to Ziva’s exact location.
However, the situation didn’t seem to be in Ziva’s favor. The signal on the collar didn’t move for hours. Though Ziva was “on the radar,” it could also mean she hadn’t survived.
A Rescue That Brought Tears
Shannon and Taelyn acted quickly.
They followed the GPS signal across the ranch. When they reached the area, they searched through the mud and floodwaters, hoping to spot Ziva.
As the floodwaters and mud were everywhere, it was quite difficult to spot this giant dog. Then, they saw her. Ziva was alive, struggling to escape the gully.
The two worked together to help her out, and within minutes, she was safe.
Erin received the emotional news with overwhelming relief. Ziva had survived what could have been a deadly ordeal and was finally headed home.
Once back at the ranch, the 120-pound Kangal was clearly worn out. Thankfully, she hadn’t been injured. She was simply exhausted and slept for over ten hours.
After everything they’d been through, Erin’s bond with Ziva grew even stronger.