Dogs lost during floods found by TDOT worker and returned to family

GRASSY FORK, Tenn. (WATE) — A Tennessee Department of Transportation worker reunited a family with their two dogs that had been lost for several days in the aftermath of widespread flooding from Hurricane Helene.

Richard McNabb, a TDOT worker and Cocke County native, was on the job days after the devastating flooding when he and another worker spotted two dogs near mile marker 448 on Interstate 40 where part of the roadway had been washed away.

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"We saw these dogs, the little pup was just barking and yapping like crazy and the mom was over in a ditch drinking water," McNabb said. "So I scooped up the pup and handed him to Willis and went over there and talked to the mama dog here for a minute. And she let me get her and we put her in the truck."

TDOT wrote on social media that their dog tags helped McNabb return the dogs to their home in Grassy Fork, a town several miles away from where they had been found.

"Mama and the little puppy were gone and the other four puppies were all at home so we began searching for them trying to figure out where they went," said dog owner Josh Ford. "That went on for about a week before Richard called us and let us know that he had found them, so we were really glad about that."

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Ford told 6 News that the lack of cell service in the area made it difficult initially for McNabb to contact him and let him know the dogs were found.