Sydney Ewing- Hurricane Cowboy

Patrick Mckann, aka the Hurricane Cowboy, is a Virginia horse trainer who rescues animal victims of Hurricane Florence. He and his friends take a traditional cowboy approach to rescue by getting “down and dirty,” instead of waiting around in meetings with of volunteer relief groups. Mckann saves mostly horses, cows, chickens, donkeys and other farm animals that would have starved or drowned.

Mckann received received his nickname from when he first delivered relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey. He first packed up his truck and trailer and drove to Texas when he heard the news of millions of animals drowning from the storm on the radio. Mckann drives from his home in Virginia and delivers donated supplies and rescue efforts to people in small towns who are typically “forgotten about.” He and his friends have had to travel by boat, travel by tractor and walk through miles of flood water that has come up as far as their chests to save abandoned animals after their owners were forced to evacuate. This story is nice, “fluffy" and heartwarming, which is a pleasant contrast to all of the bad that happens on the daily. It is refreshing to hear about a man and his team pulling horses out of flooding ditches and delivering relief supplies to the inhabitants of small towns. Mckann and his group are glad to help out, stating that they’re “just cowboys out here doing [their] job.” I appreciate seemingly altruistic acts, as opposed to acts that are only political in nature. It’s a good change of pace.

https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/09/29/us/hurricane-cowboy-animal-rescues/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F