Husky Videos · Rescue stories

Husky Abandoned on Roadside Gets Adopted by Loving Family

Video by Inside Edition on YouTube · Watch on YouTube. Local Husky isn't affiliated with this channel.

The video

This Inside Edition segment starts with footage that's hard to watch. A young man takes the collar off a Siberian Husky by the side of the road, gets into a car, and the car drives away. The dog runs after it. Then the story turns: a local mom sees the video, calls right away to adopt him, and surprises her kids with their new dog.

Meet the dog and the channel

This happened in Horizon City, Texas, just outside El Paso, in July 2021. KVIA reported that witness Joy Dominguez filmed the abandonment on July 20 near Ascencion and Temperance streets. Sheriff's deputies found the husky healthy and placed him with a local rescuer. Within days, the Clapsaddle family had adopted him. The kids named him after a character from the 1987 film The Lost Boys. KVIA spelled the name both "Ninook" and "Nanook," and so did Inside Edition. KVIA later reported that two people were charged with animal cruelty: a 68-year-old man who was driving, and a 17-year-old who deputies believe took off the collar. The driver told investigators the dog was a stray causing trouble in his neighborhood. In August, the new owner said a vet had found a pellet lodged in the dog's skin, meaning he'd also been shot. The pellet was removed, and KVIA said he was "in good spirits and health." Inside Edition is a syndicated TV news show, and its YouTube channel had about 13.8 million subscribers when we checked in November 2026.

How it blew up

The original clip spread on Facebook through an El Paso animal-rescue page, according to Inside Edition's description. Inside Edition posted this segment on July 28, 2021, and it had about 540,000 views when we checked in November 2026.

The husky science behind it

Huskies end up abandoned more often than people would like to think. Owners underestimate the exercise, the shedding, the noise and the escape skills. A husky running after the car is also very on-brand for the breed. They're people-oriented, and they'll chase whatever moves.

A practical tip

If you can't keep your husky, don't dump it. Contact a breed rescue: they have waiting lists of experienced homes and can often take a dog directly from its owner. Our Finder lists husky rescues by state.

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