A resident of the city of Sinton in Texas, Tiele Dockens, posted a picture of the dog on Facebook. In less than a day, the photo was reposted more than 27,000 times.
“This dog is walking around Sinton TX carrying a entire bag of dog food with him. LOL #refugee,” she wrote.
She added that the dog’s owner was found. “He is not a stray he just got out on his street. Dogs name is Otis.”
"I kept yelling his name and yelling his name and he wasn't around," the man told the Chron.com.
Finally, the man managed to track down the dog and bring Otis home before the return of his grandson, who fled the city amid the hurricane. According to Salvador Segovia, Otis has become a local celebrity, who is sometimes sent to a store or "for a hamburger."
Tiele Dockens later posted her selfie with the dog, saying it is safe.
The dog's story has become viral online with Twitter users praising Otis.
Whoever said dogs are not smart well look at this fellow he is on the move during Hurricane Harvey carrying bag of Dog food #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/wmmJDrZksz
— Gary FrostGermanotta (@frostygary) 26 августа 2017 г.
Otis the German shepherd carried his own bag of dog food to escape Hurrican Harvey flood in Texas #Otis #HurricaneHarvery pic.twitter.com/wqfS7jTdGu
— Tara Dodrill (@Tara_Dodrill) 27 августа 2017 г.
"Otis is such a good boy," a Twitter user wrote. Another one said: "Not a dog lover, but this photo of Otis escaping Harvey with a bag of dog food is precious. He's safe at home now."
Harvey has been sweeping across the US Gulf Coast since Saturday. Earlier on Sunday, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Harvey continued to pose a deadly threat despite its gradual weakening. Harvey was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm by the NHC late on Saturday. Harvey is the largest storm to hit the United States since the disastrous Hurricane Katrina in 2005.