On July 4, 2025, Central Texas was ravaged by catastrophic flash floods that transformed serene rivers into torrents of destruction, claiming over 120 lives and leaving communities in ruins. The Guadalupe and Medina Rivers, swollen by unprecedented rainfall, obliterated homes, swept away vehicles, and stranded countless residents and animals. Amid the heartbreak and chaos, stories of resilience emerged, none more heartwarming than the miraculous rescue of Ziva, a Turkish Kangal who went missing during the floods but was found trapped yet alive, thanks to a GPS collar. This tale of survival not only highlights the power of technology in saving lives but also underscores the profound bond between humans and their pets, offering a beacon of hope in the wake of one of Texas’ deadliest natural disasters.

The Devastation of the July 2025 Texas Floods

The July 4th weekend, typically a time of celebration, turned tragic as Central Texas faced a deluge described as “biblical” by survivors. In Kerr County, approximately 100 miles from Austin, the Guadalupe River surged from 3 feet to 30 feet in less than an hour, fueled by nearly a month’s worth of rain falling in mere hours. The Medina River, bordering ranches and rural communities, also overflowed, creating treacherous conditions. The death toll climbed steadily, reaching over 120 by mid-July, with at least 36 children among the victims, many from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt, Texas. Over 150 people remained missing, and the destruction left entire neighborhoods unrecognizable, with homes reduced to rubble and debris scattered across the Hill Country.

The floods’ ferocity caught residents off guard. In Hunt, Cody Vlasek recounted to KENS 5 how his family’s home, 30 feet from the Guadalupe River’s floodplain, was inundated with waist-high water in just 20 minutes. “The current—it almost tripped some of us,” he said, describing their desperate escape to a neighbor’s house uphill. At Camp Mystic, 27 campers and counselors perished, prompting an outpouring of grief from families and the community. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office reported recovering 68 bodies, including 28 children, while volunteers and cadaver dogs scoured the debris for survivors and victims. The scale of the tragedy, coupled with the rapid onset of the floods, exposed gaps in early warning systems, drawing criticism from figures like former Washington Governor Jay Inslee, who blamed “climate change denial” for exacerbating the disaster.

Amid the human toll, countless pets were also lost or displaced. Austin Pets Alive! and Kerrville Pets Alive! mobilized over 1,000 volunteers to rescue more than 400 animals, including cats like Rambo and Mo, reunited with their owner Cindy McCarthy after a week in the wilderness. Stories of survival, like a dog named Superman found atop flood debris, captured hearts, but many animals remained unaccounted for, deepening the anguish for families already grappling with loss. Against this backdrop of devastation, the story of Ziva’s rescue emerged as a powerful testament to hope, resilience, and the lifesaving potential of modern technology.

Ziva’s Ordeal: A Ranch Dog Caught in the Flood

Erin Doguet, a Texas rancher, was 1,500 miles away in Colorado on July 3, 2025, when she received the devastating news: her ranch, which backs up to the Medina River, was being swallowed by floodwaters. Among the over 200 animals under the care of her sister Shannon and a pet sitter, Taelyn, was Ziva, an 8-year-old Turkish Kangal and livestock guardian dog. Known for her strength and protective instincts, Ziva was one of two working dogs on the ranch, alongside Una, a 2-year-old Central Asian Shepherd. On July 4, as the storm intensified, Ziva vanished. “Ziva took off after a predator or possibly was spooked by the big storm, causing her to end up on the back section of the ranch,” Doguet told PEOPLE. As she crossed the Medina River, the floodwaters rose swiftly, trapping her in a perilous situation.

The Medina River, typically a lifeline for local ranches, became a raging barrier during the floods. Ziva, weighing 120 pounds, was caught in a flooded gully, surrounded by steep, slick banks and the roaring river, with no way to escape. For 16 hours, she remained stranded, alone and exhausted, as the floodwaters churned around her. Doguet, monitoring from Colorado, feared the worst. “When the collar kept reporting her same location for hours on the river, I feared she was dead,” she recalled. The situation seemed dire, with the remote location and lack of foot traffic making a chance discovery unlikely. Without intervention, Ziva’s fate might have mirrored that of countless other animals lost in the floods.

The Lifesaving Power of a GPS Collar

Ziva’s survival hinged on a piece of technology that Doguet had invested in long before the disaster: a Tractive GPS collar. Both Ziva and Una wore these collars, which allowed Doguet to track their movements while they worked on the ranch. The Tractive app provided real-time location updates, a feature that proved critical during the crisis. As the floods hit, Doguet received alerts that Ziva had left the property, pinpointing her location to a desolate section of the Medina River. From Colorado, Doguet guided Shannon and Taelyn to the area, despite the challenging conditions. “While I was away, I was tracking Ziva on the Tractive app, helping guide Shannon and Taelyn to her,” she explained.

The rescue effort was fraught with difficulty. When Shannon and Taelyn reached the spot indicated by the GPS, Ziva was nowhere in sight, hidden in thick brush and a flooded gully. The Tractive app’s sound feature, which emits a distinct ping from the collar, became the key to locating her. “The ping is different enough from the sounds of surrounding nature,” Doguet told NewsNation. The sound led Shannon to Ziva, who was exhausted and unable to climb out on her own. “She was so tired. She was just dead weight,” Shannon reported, describing the effort to pull the 120-pound dog to safety. After 16 hours of being trapped, Ziva was alive, physically unharmed but utterly drained. Once home, she “guzzled water and slept for the next 12 hours,” Doguet said.

The GPS collar’s role in Ziva’s rescue underscores the growing importance of pet-tracking technology in disaster scenarios. Andrew Bleiman, Executive Vice President at Tractive, told Newsweek, “Moments of chaos—like thunderstorms, fireworks, or natural disasters—can cause pets to panic and run. In those moments, Tractive’s real-time tracking can make all the difference.” Ziva’s story, shared across platforms like PEOPLE and Yahoo News, inspired thousands, with X users like @PEOPLEPets and @ArmyMom0756 celebrating the “miracle” of her survival. The technology not only saved Ziva but also offered a model for how pet owners can protect their animals during unpredictable events.

A Community in Crisis: Other Stories of Survival

Ziva’s rescue was one of many stories of resilience emerging from the Texas floods. In Hunt, a dog miraculously survived by hiding inside a washing machine as floodwaters engulfed a family’s home. Cody Vlasek, a teenager, told KENS 5, “You can replace a house, but you can’t replace lives,” reflecting on the loss of neighbors but the joy of finding his pet alive. Austin Pets Alive! reported rescuing a dog named Superman, found atop debris after losing his owner, one of the 94 confirmed deaths. The organization moved hundreds of animals to make room for flood-displaced pets, establishing a MASH-style veterinary hospital in Kerrville to treat the influx.

Volunteers like Sherry Sweeney, who reunited Cindy McCarthy with her cats Rambo and Mo, played a critical role. Sweeney, who drove five hours to assist, told NPR, “I would want someone to do it for me.” Her efforts, supported by Austin Pets Alive! and Kerrville Pets Alive!, helped reunite over 400 pets with their families. Another remarkable story involved Blue, a dog missing since Hurricane Harvey in 2017, found 300 miles away in a Waco public bathroom and reunited with her family after a microchip scan. These stories, while uplifting, were tempered by the tragedy of those who didn’t survive, including 8-year-old Renee Smajstrla and 9-year-old Janie Hunt, both lost at Camp Mystic.

The Broader Context: Climate and Controversy

The Texas floods sparked heated debate about their causes and the adequacy of response measures. Left-wing critics, including Michael Bloomberg and Ben Jealous, argued that “climate denialism” exacerbated the disaster, pointing to President Trump’s cuts to weather agencies. Bloomberg wrote, “The refusal to recognize that climate change carries a death penalty is sending innocent people, including far too many children, to early graves.” However, Steve Milloy of the Energy and Environment Legal Institute countered that the region is prone to flash floods and that no clear link exists between extreme rainfall and emissions. Climate Central noted the difficulty of attributing specific rain events to climate change, highlighting the complexity of the issue.

The White House, through spokesperson Abigail Jackson, called the politicization of the tragedy “shameful and disgusting.” Meanwhile, President Trump’s visit to the flood zone with Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz drew scrutiny when he dismissed questions about delayed alerts as “evil.” The controversy underscored the challenges of balancing immediate relief efforts with long-term questions about preparedness and climate policy. For families like Doguet’s, these debates were secondary to the immediate task of rebuilding and reuniting with loved ones—human and animal alike.

Ziva’s Return: A Symbol of Hope

Ziva’s rescue was more than a personal triumph for Doguet; it became a symbol of hope for a community grappling with loss. “I burst into tears knowing they found her alive!” Doguet told PEOPLE, capturing the emotional weight of the moment. Ziva’s return to the ranch, where she “went back to being Ziva, like nothing had ever happened,” offered a rare moment of joy amid the devastation. The story resonated widely, with X posts from users like @DogProtector23 and @horse_patriot amplifying the news, garnering thousands of reactions and shares.

The floods left Central Texas with a long road to recovery, but stories like Ziva’s highlight the resilience of both people and their pets. Austin Pets Alive! urged supporters to foster animals and donate to aid recovery efforts, emphasizing the critical role of community in healing. For Doguet, the experience reinforced the value of preparedness, from equipping pets with GPS collars to trusting in the dedication of family and volunteers. “Without that collar, Ziva wouldn’t have been found,” she said, a sentiment echoed by countless others who saw technology and human compassion converge to create a miracle.

As Texas rebuilds, Ziva’s story stands as a reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope can emerge. Whether it’s a dog found in a gully, a cat trapped in debris, or a community rallying to support its own, these acts of survival and solidarity shine through the floodwaters, proving that life—and love—can endure even the most catastrophic storms.