Fact Check: Is Viral Photo of 'Poor Dog' From Hurricane Idalia?

Several social media users shared photos of what they claim to be a dog stranded in flood waters after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida.

On Wednesday morning, Hurricane Idalia made landfall in parts of Florida as a Category 3 storm, bringing heavy rainfall and high wind speeds.

"Hurricane #Idalia making landfall in the Big Bend Area this morning with catastrophic storm surge. Surge concerns will continue along the west coast even though is pulling away from our area. Highest surge will be around the time of high tide this afternoon hours. Remain alert!" The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay, Florida said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management also cautioned residents on X, saying, "As Hurricane #Idalia begins to make landfall, coastal Dixie & Taylor counties may see sustained winds of up to 115mph. Sustained winds of this speed can be life-threatening & cause devastating property damage." Newsweek reached out to the Florida Division of Emergency Management via its website.

While many photos of flooding and heavy rainfall from the storm have been posted on social media, others have posted other images, including one claiming to be a stranded dog.

The Claim

On Wednesday morning, several X users shared a photo that appeared to show a stranded dog in floodwaters. The posts claimed that the dog was left alone after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida.

"Poor dog becomes the victim of Cat 4 Hurricane Idalia. Please save your pets too, as you save yourselves during evacuations," Insider Times wrote on X, sharing the photo of the dog.

A number of other users also shared the photo with similar captions, such as user Calay Foundations which said, "A dog is left outside by his owner in the midst of a Category 4 hurricane, Idalia. Please save your pets too, just as you would yourself during evacuations."

None of the users who shared the photo provided any further information such as where it was taken or who the original poster was.

The Facts

One X user posted the photo but disputed the claims and said, "As Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida, I'll be keeping track of the misinformation that circulates online."

"First up, this image doesn't show a dog left outside during Hurricane Idalia. It dates to a news report in 2016 when the dog was rescued in Fort Bend County, Texas," Seana Davis added in the post.

In 2016, NBC 5 News in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, shared a video showing the dog that was seen in the images posted on X, and said the dog was chained to the porch on a home in Fort Bend.

The Huffington Post later reported that the dog was adopted by former Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls, who wrote on Facebook, "I am happy to say the only water this girl will be in now is the swimming pool in my backyard! We picked her up today from the Houston Humane Society. Welcome to the family!"

The Ruling

False.

The photos posted on X on Wednesday falsely state that the dog was left stranded following Hurricane Idalia. Instead, the dog was stranded in 2016 in Texas.

FACT CHECK BY NEWSWEEK