Survivor, the Hartsville Station Dog

After weathering tornado, Hartsville’s mascot “Mutt” becomes “Survivor;” gets new home, new name in Knoxville (Hartsville, TN )

In the aftermath of the devastating tornados that ripped through the South and severely damaged Columbia Gulf’s Hartsville Compressor Station is the story of one very fortunate dog.

According to Hartsville employees, a stray dog wandered into the station yard in January. Despite multiple attempts to convince the dog to seek other living arrangements, “Mutt” exhibited a dogged determination to take up residence at the station.

Survivor at Rest

Then, on the evening of Feb. 5, the storms plowed through the area and hit the station on such short notice that nobody had time to check on Mutt. It was assumed the poor dog had perished in the storm along with most of the station.

But to the surprise of everyone, on Feb. 7, nearly two days after the tornado, Mutt wandered back into the station yard amid the effort to return the Gulf pipelines to service. Beyond a chunk of missing tail, a gimpy leg and some minor scratches, Mutt remarkably appeared to have weathered the storm. To those who witnessed the force of the storms, her survival borders on miraculous.

“We’d like to have her able to talk so she could tell us where he ended up,” said Columbia Gulf’s Clark Bourque. “She would surely have a story to tell.”

Mutt’s name was changed to “Survivor,” and after a clean bill of health from a veterinarian, she has enthusiastically resumed her role as station mascot.

Lucy and Moxie

Work crews turned their attention to the massive rebuilding effort needed to bring the compressor back into service. The demolition work required to begin reclamation created concern that Survivor’s luck would run out, and that she could be either seriously injured or even killed by the heavy equipment removing concrete and steel from the site. The decision was made. Survivor needed a new home.

As word went out that Survivor needed an adoptive family, employees around the NiSource organization expressed interest in providing a home for the station mascot. Also interested was Dene French, retired from the Knoxville Sheriff’s Department, who was working with the security detail assigned to the Hartsville station. Dene and his wife Rhonda owned a dog that resembled Survivor; the dog had recently died at age 17.

The Frenches have a large fenced yard and a six month-old puppy named Lucy to provide companionship, so Bourque and Hartsville Team Leader Chris Belcher decided that Survivor’s best interests were at a new home in Knoxville. On February 24, Survivor, now renamed “Moxie” made the move to her new home.

Dene and Rhonda felt the name “Moxie,” which means “one who overcomes difficulties with spirit and courage,” was a better fit for their happy new pet. “She is one sweet dog, and she has a fantastic temperament, “said Rhonda French. “She is getting along famously with Lucy.”

Moxie, who appears to be about a year old, will need additional veterinary care in the coming weeks, and she still is skittish when she hears fire engine sirens. But generally she is acclimating well to her new environment, the Frenches say. NiSource employees are voluntarily contributing to help with the cost of some of the treatments Moxie will need. While the Columbia Gulf employees at Hartsville are sorry about the absence of their station mascot, they understand that Moxie will fare much better in her new home.

“This was no place for her to be with all of the work that we need to take care of. It is just too dangerous,” said Hartsville Team Leader Chris Belcher. “I think this is a great situation and she will do just fine.”