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Archer the Dog: The truth behind the viral pic of pooch 'stranded' during Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idalia caused significant damage in Florida and across Charleston, South Carolina, before moving towards North Carolina and Georgia

MIAMI, FLORIDA: Following Hurricane Idalia's Category 3 landfall in Florida, multiple social media users posted photos of a dog that they believe is stuck in the floodwaters. According to the posts, the dog was reportedly left stranded after Hurricane Idalia hit the state.

"Poor dog becomes the victim of Cat 4 Hurricane Idalia. Please save your pets too, as you save yourselves during evacuations," Insider Times wrote on X, sharing the photo of the dog.

Several others also shared the photo with similar captions. User Calay Foundations which said, "A dog is left outside by his owner in the midst of a Category 4 hurricane, Idalia. Please save your pets too, just as you would yourself during evacuations." 

Was the dog really stranded during Hurricane Idalia?

It turns out the photo is fake and not from the Hurricane Idalia floods, but from the 2016 floods in Texas. 

One X user posted the photo, disputing that it was taken during the current disaster, saying, "As Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida, I'll be keeping track of the misinformation that circulates online First up, this image doesn't show a dog left outside during Hurricane Idalia. It dates to a news report in 2016 when the dog was rescued in Fort Bend County, Texas."

What happened to Archer the dog?

Back in 2016, a video surfaced featuring the same dog as the viral image currently circulating on X. The video revealed that the dog, named Archer, had been tied to a porch of a house in Fort Bend. 

Archer was later rescued and adopted by former Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls, who wrote on Facebook, "I think she's going to be fine," posting a photo of Archer napping with a family member.