A pit bull named Maggie, who remains fearful of rain after nearly drowning in a hurricane, has captured the hearts of internet viewers.
Maggie (@maggiepotamus_) was rescued in Texas in the aftermath of a tropical storm, where she had been chained in a backyard breeding setup.
Her heartbreaking story, shared through a video of her anxiously sheltering under an awning just 50 yards from her apartment, amassed more than 2.4 million views and over 246,400 likes.
“She was found chained in a large backyard breeding situation. There were many other dogs on the property, but they all had drowned. She was swimming to keep her head above the flooded yard,” her owner, Jennifer Lee, 30, told Newsweek.
After being rescued, Maggie spent six long months in a high-kill shelter before finally finding safety with the Humane Society of Washington. She stayed there for three more months, becoming the shelter’s longest resident and struggling with significant stress that led to self-harming behaviors.
Jennifer Lee poses with Maggie. The owner has helped her pet overcome a lot of her past trauma.
maggiepotamus_/maggiepotamus_
“I had specifically asked Seattle Humane to show me the dogs that most needed to get out, and that’s how I met her,” Lee said. “She was a foster-to-adopt dog, so I brought her home as a foster, and she immediately jumped on my bed and made herself at home. I fell head over heels for her and took her back the next day to officially adopt her.”
Lee adopted Maggie in February 2019, and although Maggie settled in quickly, it took about two to three months for her to feel fully safe. Over the years, the dog has blossomed, showing a huge personality as her confidence has grown.
Now estimated to be around 10 or 11 years old, Maggie is primarily American Staffordshire with some pit bull. Lee added: “Maggie is super playful and sweet and stubborn as hell. She knows what she wants and when she wants it.”
Maggie is especially gentle with children, often softening her movements around them, and has even won the hearts of a murder of crows that follow her around at the park.
For dogs like Maggie, who are frightened by the rain, providing comfort is essential. Experts suggest several approaches to soothe weather-related anxiety, such as using calming pheromone diffusers or creating a cozy, quiet space where your dog can feel safe during storms.
Maggie’s journey serves as a testament to the resilience of rescue dogs. Lee said: “I want to highlight that rescue dogs are so incredible. Adopting or rescuing a dog forces you to truly recognize that dogs are conscious beings with their own needs, desires, and a crucial need for autonomy. It challenges us to empathize with the fact that dogs are navigating a human-centric world, often forced to adapt in ways that may not align with their nature.”
Many commenters expressed their emotional responses to Maggie’s story and shared their own experiences with hurricane rescue dogs.
One viewer, Amberlee, wrote: “All I can think about is all the animals left behind during Hurricane Helene.”
Another posted: “My first dog when I was a kid was a Hurricane Katrina survivor, and the only time he broke his self-imposed rule about not being on the furniture was during thunderstorms.”
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