A dog found skeleton thin and stuck in rubble in the Bahamas three weeks after Hurricane Dorian struck has been adopted by a Florida family.
The Beaty family from Palm Beach will now look after the puppy, who has been named Miracle by rescuers, after he was discovered nearly crushed to death under broken glass, debris and an air conditioning unit.
More than 10,000 people applied to look after the one-year-old mixed breed, who has gained 16 pounds since his rescue. It is not known what happened to his first owners.
Clark, Briana and their three daughters Jayne, eight, Kate, five and Clare, three, say they are looking forward to having the ‘best holiday ever’ with the new addition to their family, ABC News reports. They lost a longtime family home in the storm.
The dog, now named Miracle, was found by members of Big Dog Ranch Rescue in October, pictured, using infrared detection from a drone in Marsh Harbour. Spokesperson Chase Scott said the one-year-old mixed breed had been surviving on rainwater
The Beaty family from Palm Beach will now look after the puppy. Mom Briana is pictured with her three daughters Jayne, eight, Kate, five and Clare, three and puppy Miracle
More than 10,000 people applied to look after the one-year-old mixed breed, pictured, who has gained 16 pounds since his rescue. He was discovered nearly crushed to death under broken glass, debris and an air conditioning unit
Lauree Simmons, Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s founder and president, said: ‘Miracle has now gained 16 pounds – almost half his body weight [when] he came in – and weighs almost 35 pounds. He’s healthy and ready to go home.
‘The minute they saw Miracle as weak and as frail and emaciated as he was and had the energy to gravitate to these girls and just crawl in their lap, I knew at the time this was the right home for Miracle.
‘I’m so so happy that [Miracle’] going to be cuddling in these little girls’ beds and being spoiled rotten and finally going home. We received cards, gifts and photos from all over including Germany, England and Australia.’
Miracle was found by members of Big Dog Ranch Rescue in October using infrared detection from a drone in Marsh Harbour.
He is understood to have survived on rainwater. A dog next to him did not, Yahoo News reports.
Spokesperson Chase Scott told CNN Miracle was nearly crushed to death after the building collapsed and was trapped under broken glass, debris and an air conditioning unit.
He said the puppy was ‘skeleton thin and unable to walk’ but still greeted rescuers with a wagging tail.
Heartwarming video showed the moment Miracle was found by rescuers. He eagerly eats and wags his tail as he is pulled to safety.
Clark, Briana and their three daughters Jayne, eight, Kate, five and Clare, three, say they are looking forward to having the ‘best holiday ever’ with the new addition to their family
Jayne, eight, right, Kate, five center, and Clare, three, left, with their new puppy Miracle
Sean Irion, the man who rescued Miracle, told WPTV: ‘I’m so happy to see him going to a home where he is going to be loved and have a life of a dog as we all know it. As a family pet, and somebody that gives compassion and love and table scraps, I’m happy to see it for him.’
The Category 5 storm is estimated to have caused $7billion in damage, claimed the lives of at least 58 people with hundreds still missing.
The United Nations estimates that 76,000 people in Grand Bahama and the Abaco islands have been left homeless.