Mason, the Miracle Tornado Dog

With all the tornadoes that have hit this weekend across the Southern United States, where I lived, I thought everyone deserves to hear a feel-good dog story.

This story is from 2011, but it’s still an amazing dog story.

The story of true, unconditional love that only a dog can give his family. Of how an amazing dog crawled on two broken legs . . . home to be with his family.

In case you’re lazy and don’t feel like reading … 

Last year, devastating tornadoes destroyed several southern states – Alabama was one of them. In fact, Mama actually had to drive through the heart of a storm, saw the funnel cloud, and battled driving over flooded streets, and heavy rain … just to get home to me. You can read abut it about last year’s tornado: The Shih Tzu Puppy Who Survived a Tornado.

While my family was safe and sound during last year’s tornadoes, Mason – a one-year-old terrier mix from North Smithfield, Alabama (near Birmingham) – was in danger.

He was hanging out in his family’s garage when the tornadoes hit.

The tornado blasted through the garage and carried Mason away. We don’t know how far he had to travel, but when he landed, he had two broken legs.

Dozens of people died from that twister. Mason’s home was destroyed, but his family was grateful to be alive. They were heartbroken that their sweet dog had disappeared. After combing every nook and cranny of their neighborhood, they gave up hope that their dog was still alive.

Two weeks after the tornado hit, Mason’s family went to their house to try to salvage some personal belongings. And to their amazement, Mason was waiting for them by the front poor.

He was so excited that he was shaking; his entire body was wagging in excitement.

Of course, his family was thrilled.

As you can imagine, Mason was in bad shape. He was very thin and couldn’t stand up. They took him to a nearby animal shelter, where they learned that Mason had to basically crawl home, since his two front legs were broken.

Fortunately, while his family was rebuilding their house, Mason stayed with an animal shelter while he got medical care. The shelter contacted an experienced veterinarian who volunteered to perform surgery free of charge. The vet inserted metal plates and 17 screws into Mason’s legs. Since Mason’s injuries were so severe, he needed many weeks to heal.

Although this sounds like his family abandoned him, they did not. He finally returned home to his loving family in September of 2011 (the tornado hit in May).

All I have to say is that is unconditional love! And Mason is definitely a smart dog, for being able to find his way home. He must love his family very much, and I’m so glad that he’s finally home now.

This story reminds Mama of the 1993 movie, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, about three animals (two dogs and one cat) who get lost and have to find their way home. It was Mama’s favorite movie growing up. Check it out if you’ve never seen it!