Dog carrying bag of food after Hurricane Harvey becomes viral hero

Hurricane Harvey couldn't keep Otis the dog down. Hurricane Harvey couldn't keep Otis the dog down. Photo: Tiele Dockens Photo: Tiele Dockens Image 1 of / 254 Caption Close Dog carrying bag of food after Hurricane Harvey becomes viral hero 1 / 254 Back to Gallery

A dog that accidentally got loose Friday night during Hurricane Harvey has become an unlikely symbol of Texas strength.

Otis, a German shepherd mix, got loose Friday night from a screened-in back porch in Sinton, Texas, while in the care of Salvador Segovia, 65. Segovia was watching the dog, who belongs to his 5-year-old grandson Carter who had fled the city due to flooding.

When Segovia went to check in on the dog Friday night, he was gone.

FROM THE FIELD: Houston residents share Hurricane Harvey photos on social media

"I kept yelling his name and yelling his name and he wasn't around," Segovia told Chron.com Saturday afternoon.

Segovia checked his porch Saturday morning and noticed Otis' bag of dog food was missing. Segovia drove around his neighborhood looking for the pooch when he was flagged down by a neighbor who said they saw Otis walking around with the bag of food in his mouth.

Fellow neighbor Tiele Dockens also saw Otis and snapped a photo of him with his food that went viral. The image had been shared nearly 16,000 times by 4:50 pm on Saturday.

LIFE FINDS A WAY: Three babies born on Texas coast during Hurricane Harvey

"We are a population of about 6,000," Dockens told Weather.com. "We were out today clearing tree limbs from streets. Families are already starting to clean up. Our town is still out of water and power. I was driving around checking on family and friends' properties that decided to evacuate."

Segovia was able to track down Otis and bring him home before his grandson returned.

Otis is an all around special dog, Segovia said. He's been instrumental in helping comfort Carter following numerous hospital visits for seizures and asthma. Otis is also a local celebrity.

"Otis can go to Dairy Queen and he can get a hamburger. He's the only dog allowed to lie down in front of the county court house," Segovia said. "He also goes to H.E.B. He's not a stray. He's a good dog."