'Total miracle:' Dog found alive in rubble over a month after Hurricane Dorian's rampage

The volunteer couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

More than a month after Hurricane Dorian destroyed much of the Bahamas, he uncovered an emaciated dog, trapped beneath a pile of air conditioning units in Marsh Harbour.

Sean Irion from Big Dog Ranch Rescue seen here moments after he pulled a dog from debris left behind by Hurricane Dorian in Abaco Island's Marsh Harbour. Rescuers have named the dog 'Miracle' as they search for its owner. Miracle is believed to have survived more than a month trapped in rubbled after Dorian decimated the Bahamas. (ABC News / Big Dog Ranch Rescue)

(ABC News / Big Dog Ranch Rescue)

“Oh my God, baby, look at that tail wagging,” Sean Irion, a volunteer from Big Dog Ranch Rescue, could be heard saying in quiet amazement.

Irion opened a can of dog food that the skeleton-thin dog gobbled up. Then Irion and others began moving the heavy A/C units trapping the dog and gently carried the exhausted animal to safety.

Lauree Simmons, the founder and president of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, based in Florida, got word about the trapped dog on Friday morning. “They texted me and said urgent. We need a plane now,” she told WPTV. “We had a plane there within an hour.”

Infrared heat-seeking drone images showed several dogs in the area and helped rescuers zero in on where the dog became trapped. Unfortunately, another dog trapped in the same area didn’t make it. Simmons has been rescuing dogs for nearly a decade and can’t believe that the dog was still alive.

“How he has survived is a miracle. Total miracle,” she said while comforting the exhausted dog immediately after his rescue. The dehydrated animal was given fluids and fed small amounts of food and was taken to Big Dog Ranch Rescue by 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon.

Lauree Simmons, founder and president of the Florida-based Big Dog Ranch Rescue, with Miracle while he is on mend after surviving more than a month without food and shelter after Hurricane Dorian. (Big Dog Ranch Rescue)

(Big Dog Ranch Rescue)

“What an incredible story that we were able to discover this dog alive after being trapped for so long,” Simmons said. “We are using the latest technology for our recovery teams to locate these animals. In this case, drones played a key role.”

Infrared aerial drone footage used to help rescuers located dogs stranded in the rubble left in the Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian last month. (ABC News / Douglas Thron)

(ABC News / Douglas Thron)

In fact, they’ve decided to call the dog Miracle while they try to find his family. In the meantime, more than 10,000 people have offered to adopt him. The organization says Miracle has gained several pounds already and is up and walking.

According to its website, 138 dogs have been saved in the Bahamas by Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Several were found in Marsh Harbor homes where they were separated as their families evacuated. Many have been reunited with their owners in Florida. 

Miracle seen here at Big Dog Ranch Rescue on mend after surviving more than a month without food and shelter after Hurricane Dorian. (Big Dog Ranch Rescue)

(Big Dog Ranch Rescue)

"I want everybody to know the crisis is not over," said Simmons about ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in the Bahamas. She says there are a lot of dogs too scared to come out because of heavy equipment that's in the area for cleanup efforts.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue is a 33-acre cage-free sanctuary in Loxahatchee, Florida. It’s the largest cage-free, no-kill dog rescue in the United States, and it has been rescuing dogs in the wake of natural disasters for years. More than a decade after the organization was created, it has saved nearly 30,000 dogs, including Miracle.

You can visit BDRR.ORG to read more about the organization and support the rescue effort by making a donation of money or supplies. Dogs, including many from the Bahamas, are available for adoption. And keep up with AccuWeather for continuing coverage of Dorian's impacts.