EXCLUSIVE: Hero dog named Cooper saves a young autistic boy from the ravages of Tennessee's floodwaters as he clung to a wall, staying with him until rescuers arrived

A dog named Cooper is being hailed a hero after he swam to the aid of an autistic boy clinging onto a wall in Tennessee's floodwaters and stayed with him until rescuers arrived.

Cooper, a six-year-old Great Pyrenees-Labrador mix, got swept into the water during Saturday's massive flood that has left at least 22 people dead, hundreds of homes ruined and devastated families throughout the region.

A member of the rescue crew described to DailyMail.com how Cooper was found nestled up to a young boy who was caught in the water and desperately holding onto a wall.

The boy was saved and the dog suffered a scrape on his rear, but his energy was still intact when he arrived at the clinic, licking the staff with his tail endlessly flopping.  

'We've been calling him Big Hero Dog all week long,' said veterinarian Dr. Jessica Peek. She owns the Waverly Animal Clinic where Cooper ended up after his long and exhausting day.

'He's a living sweety and we've been giving him lots of treats, telling him he's a hero,' she told DailyMail.com. 

Cooper, a six-year-old Great Pyrenees-Labrador mix, swam to the aid of an autistic boy clinging to a wall on Saturday 

'We've been calling him Big Hero Dog all week long,' said veterinarian Dr. Jessica Peek, who owns the Waverly Animal Clinic 

Hundreds of pets also got caught in the floodwaters and were left separated from their owners. 

Dozens of dogs and cats were taken to the local clinic, where they were bandaged and cared for while outreach efforts were made to reconnect them with their families.

In the back of Waverly Animal Clinic several propane tanks were set up to boil water for the animals when water service went out.

Cooper was an instant celebrity when he was dropped off at the clinic late Saturday morning. 

'Come here Big Hero Dog, I've got you a treat,' Dr. Peek gushed Tuesday as she fed the Cooper a chicken flavored snack and hugged him on the front lawn.

Cooper's owner, Caitlyn Rochelle, was preparing to pick him up this week after learning of his whereabouts.

'It made me cry,' Rochelle told DailyMail.com of the rescue story. 'It was no surprise that he saw someone else in distress and went after him.'

'He's always been a good dog, a great emotional support animal,' she explained. 'When my dad and I get depression, Cooper senses it and sits and lays his head on us.'

Rochelle said a tree crashed through her roof and the water flooded into her house in Waverly Saturday morning.

'Everything we had we lost,' she said.

Cooper was staying with Rochelle's father when 'he got swept away,' she said. 

The fast-rising waters left at least 22 people dead, flooding hundreds of homes and devastating families throughout the region

Pictured is what is left of buildings in downtown Waverly, Tennessee

Hundreds of pets also got caught in the floodwaters and were left separated from their owners

Dr. Peek said this was just one of several tales from the past week.

'You feel a little helpless and don't know what to do when people are trapped and looking for their pets,' the vet said. 'We've tried to give pets a safe place to be so owners could deal with other things they have to deal with.'

She described one elderly woman who initially refused to be saved without her two cats, even as her house started shifting from its foundation during the flood.

'She would not leave with rescuers until someone took care of her cats,' the vet said.

The woman was able to pick up her two cats Monday.

Another cat named Leo and dog Remi wound up at the clinic after a daring rescue involving brothers on jet skis. Leo was plucked off the roof into a basket, while Remi resisted.

'The dog was 120 pounds of wild, and I found out he swam himself to safety,' Peek said.

Then there was an elderly woman with a small epileptic dog, who are currently sleeping at a shelter after getting flooded out of their home.

'I take him his seizure medication that was washed away,' she said. 'Her pet is everything to her. She's now staying at a local church, but she's got her dog Bo George and his seizure medicine, so she's okay.'