FACT CHECK: No, This Image Does Not Show Dogs Leading Cattle To Safety After Flooding From Hurricane Helene

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

An image shared on Threads allegedly shows dogs leading a large group of cattle through a flooded area following Hurricane Helene’s landfall. 

 

Post by @clare.rolfzen
View on Threads

 

Verdict: False

The image is miscaptioned. It was actually taken in 2017 during Hurricane Irma, according to a post from the South Florida Wildlands Association.

Fact Check: 

Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, has accrued a death toll of over 100 in the Southeast, and millions remain without power, according to CNN. North Carolina’s death toll is at 47, with 35 of these occurring in Buncombe County where floodwater is still receding and revealing even more damage, the outlet reported.

An image, purportedly taken after Hurricane Helene, appears to show four dogs leading a sizable herd of cattle through a flooded forest. “The post says that these are farm dogs leading the cattle to safety from Hurricane Helene! From Marietta,” the caption reads. (RELATED: Does This Post Accurately Depict Hurricane Helene Footage?)

The post has been miscaptioned, however. A reverse image search shows that the image was posted to Facebook in June by the South Florida Wildlands Association. “Photo by Jody Farley of Farley Cattle Company in Clay County, Florida showing ranch dogs leading cattle to safety after Hurricane Irma in 2017,” the caption reads, in part. 

The image was also posted to X in September 2017. Additionally, it was featured on a University of Florida webpage titled “USDA workshops: Hurricane Irma recovery” posted in October 2017.

Check Your Fact reached out to a Farley Cattle Company spokesperson for comment. 

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

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