Dog returns home after storm with two broken legs

[onedef92]

Dog returns home after storm with two broken legs

Posted: May 17, 2011 8:48 PM EDT
Updated: May 18, 2011 10:42 AM EDT

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Amazing stories of survival from the April 27th tornadoes don't just include people. There are some amazing 4-legged tales of endurance being told including the story of one dog who just returned home yesterday. He is clearly battered, but alive.

Mason, a terrier mix, now rests inside the Vulcan Park Animal Care Clinic where he's waiting to find out what kind of surgery he will need to repair 2 badly broken legs. This is only the 2nd night he's spent under any kind of roof in the last 2 weeks and the story of how he got there is almost too amazing to believe.

On April 27th, Mason was hiding in his garage in North Smithfield when the storm picked him up and blew him away. His owners couldn't find him and had about given up when they came back Monday to sift through the debris, and found Mason waiting for them on the porch.

"He's got 2 broken legs and they're distal radial ulnal fractures, they've not been able to be in alignment so neither one of them have healed so he had to crawl on 2 broken legs to get home," said Dr. Barbara Benhart, staff veterinarian at the Birmingham-Jefferson Co. Animal Control Shelter.

"This is probably the most dramatic we've seen as far as an injury in an animal that's survived this long," said Phil Doster, also with the shelter. "It's kind of tapering off, the amount of animals we're seeing because of the storm. For an animal just to show up on someone's porch after this time was pretty remarkable, especially with the condition he's in."

Mason's owners asked the shelter to take him because they're not able to care for him while they try and piece their lives back together, and now Mason's amazing tale gets better with the help of a donation from the Vulcan Park Animal Care Clinic.

"He called and asked if there was anything he could do, last week, and this dog appeared today and so I called him, and never a hesitation, he offered 'bring it on over and he'll see what he can do," said Dr. Benhart.

Now with a little luck and a lot of love, Mason may become a mascot for storm survivors on four and 2 legs.

"For an animal to go through what he's gone through and not to be ugly, to be happy for any companionship is remarkable, we're honored to be part of his recovery," said Doster.

Mason was evaluated this afternoon but no course of treatment has been set yet. The hope is that after he recovers, he can return to his original family. If not, the shelter says they will find a home for Mason to start his new life with new mobility.

[nhra_ta]

Simply amazing.

[vetterdstr]

awesome story man! That dog knew he had to get back to his family and crawled on 2 legs to get there.

[Kerrmudgeon]

That's one tough little pup! And nice of the vets to step up and do the right thing!...

[onedef92]

Originally Posted by vetterdstr

awesome story man! That dog knew he had to get back to his family and crawled on 2 legs to get there.

Yup. Life is rrrrrrrrrrrrough, alright!

[Rob]

Glad he made it home to his family.

Get well soon little pup.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by onedef92

Yup. Life is rrrrrrrrrrrrough, alright!

Heh heh.

[Me2]

Originally Posted by vetterdstr

awesome story man! That dog knew he had to get back to his family and crawled on 2 legs to get there.

And then they dump him off at the shelter.

[C5Nate]

Mason's owners asked the shelter to take him because they're not able to care for him while they try and piece their lives back together..

WTF?

They dont deserve this dog.

Hopefully someone will adopt him and show him the love he deserves.

[LisaJohn]

Please don't judge someone too quickly about leaving their pets at a shelter during the tornado disaster. Homes are gone! The vets and shelters here in Tuscaloosa are boarding animals free of charge for tornado survivors. People are also fostering pets for survivors until they can find housing. My sister has a house guest named Penelope Kitty. I had a ShihTzu spend a night with me.
My vet's office was badly damaged.
L/MM