Taking matters into his own paws! Otis the German shepherd returns home after he was spotted in a viral photo carrying a huge bag of dog food after Hurricane Harvey

  • Otis was spotted carrying a bag of dog food down a street in Sinton, Texas on Saturday following Hurricane Harvey
  • He managed to break free from his home during the storm and disappeared
  • A resident snapped a photo of Otis walking the streets with the food and it quickly went viral
  • Otis made his way back home and apparently walked straight up to his front porch where his owner was, set down the food and laid down 
  • He is known for wandering around town to places where he knows he will be given treats 

By Emily Crane For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A clever German Shepherd cross managed to take matters into his own paws when he was spotted strolling the streets of Texas carrying a huge bag of food in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

But in addition to the free bag of food the six-year-old pooch named Otis managed to pick up, he is now also basking in the spotlight after a photo of him quickly went viral. 

Otis had somehow gotten loose from his home in Sinton, north of Corpus Christi, after the tropical storm hit on Friday night. 

Otis somehow got loose from his home in Sinton, Texas during Hurricane Harvey but returned to his owner Salvador Segovia with a bag of food on Saturday

Otis somehow got loose from his home in Sinton, Texas during Hurricane Harvey but returned to his owner Salvador Segovia with a bag of food on Saturday

Owner Salvador Segovia had initially called out in the storm to try and locate Otis before heading out first thing Saturday morning find him.

Meanwhile, fellow resident Tiele Dockens was out checking the damage from the storm when she spotted Otis strolling down a storm-damaged street carrying his bag of food.

She snapped a photo and moments later it was being shared thousands of times on social media. Dockens followed Otis to make sure he wasn't lost and he led her straight back to his home.

Otis apparently walked straight up to his front porch where his owner was, set down the food and laid down. 

'I turn around, there comes Otis and he's carrying food,' Segovia told the Washington Post. 'Otis is a smart dog. He knows where to go pick up a treat.' 

Tiele Dockens was out checking the damage from the storm when she spotted Otis strolling down a storm-damaged street carrying his bag of food. She snapped a photo and it quickly went viral on Facebook

Tiele Dockens was out checking the damage from the storm when she spotted Otis strolling down a storm-damaged street carrying his bag of food. She snapped a photo and it quickly went viral on Facebook

Otis apparently walked straight up to his front porch where his owner was, set down the food and laid down (above)

Otis apparently walked straight up to his front porch where his owner was, set down the food and laid down (above)

The pooch regularly wanders off and knows how to make his way around the town. 

He often stops in at the Dairy Queen where he gets a hamburger or the lumber store because it sells dog food.  

Segovia thinks on this occasion Otis may have been scared by the storm and took off before making his way to the lumber store.

'I'm thinking he picked up that dog food and he knew where it was. Nobody was there to feed him and he picks up the dog food,' Segovia said. 

Otis' family are still in shock over the viral fame the pooch has attracted. 

Segovia's son Shane wrote on Facebook: 'First things first people, Otis wasn't in need of help! Second of all, I promise he wasn't looting! 

'Lol... He was just out on a stroll through town AFTER the storm and doing what a survivor would do! Salvador Segovia you taught him right!'

A damaged car sits outside a heavily damaged apartment complex in Rockport, Texas, after Hurricane Harvey. Rockport is about 45 minutes away from Stinton, where Otis is from

A damaged car sits outside a heavily damaged apartment complex in Rockport, Texas, after Hurricane Harvey. Rockport is about 45 minutes away from Stinton, where Otis is from

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