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This dog took matters into his own paws in aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

A dog named Otis showed his resourcefulness in tracking down a big bag of dog food in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Sinton, Texas.
/ Source: TODAY

Adjusting to life in the aftermath of a cataclysmic storm like Hurricane Harvey often requires resourcefulness, and that doesn't go just for humans.

In the midst of record-setting flooding in south Texas since the hurricane hit over the weekend, a dog in the town of Sinton took matters into his own paws to make sure he would be well fed as residents ride out the tropical storm.

The golden retriever mix was spotted lugging a big bag of dog food down the street by Sinton resident Tiele Dockens, who was driving with her family to check on the damage from the storm.

She shared the picture on Facebook with the hashtag #refugee, which went viral as an image of resilience during the storm.

"I don't know know where he got it from, but it was so funny,'' Dockens told NBC News.

Dockens later found out from a friend that the dog is owned by a Sinton resident and named Otis.

The dog returned home safely to his owner, Salvador Segovia, after his foraging expedition that Segovia figured was probably at a local lumber yard down the street.

Otis got frightened by the storm and took off from the back porch for about four hours, Segovia told NBC News. The dog then returned home with the bag of dog food and plopped right back down on the porch.

The area was part of the nearly 300,000 homes without power over the weekend from a storm that could end up dumping a catastrophic 50 inches of rain by the time it's done.

Otis has become an early symbol of the spirit of the people in south Texas, which a Facebook commenter named Trey Brangan noted on Dockens' post.

"Must be a Texas dog cause he can survive without help,'' he said.

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