Dog Crawls Home With Two Broken Legs After Tornado

Though he was swept away by a deadly tornado and suffered two broken legs, he was determined to make it back home. And so he did.

That is the amazing story of Mason, a Terrier mix who was hiding in his family’s garage on April 27 in North Smithfield, Alabama when a 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 County Animal Control Shelter.

Mason now rests inside the Vulcan Park Animal Care Clinic in Alabama where he’s awaiting surgery to repair his 2 badly broken legs.

“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, a shelter worker. “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. But Mason’s amazing tale will be getting better thanks to the help of a donation from the Vulcan Park Animal Care Clinic.

“A man 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 two 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.

As of Wednesday night, Mason has been x-rayed and put on an IV. His vets at the Vulcan Park Animal Clinic plan to operate on his two broken legs Friday. They will use plates and maybe pins to help realign his bones. Doctors think it will be a long, but ultimately successful recovery.

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.

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Christina Ocho5
Christina Ocho5
12 years ago

Unfortunately his owners didn’t care enough to immediately get him to a veterinarian. Instead they recorded him while he continued to crawl around on his legs, increasing the tissue and bone damage. They then took him to a shelter, probably expecting them to euthanize him.

Hang in there Mason. You deserve better than that.

guest
guest
12 years ago

you are so right Christina….i thought the same exact thing….what in the world would you make the dog show the “TV people” that his legs are broken by making him crawl and damage them more.  It broke my heart to see this on TV…… 

Pricenb
Pricenb
12 years ago

That is sad about the story and for Christina to say what she said. If that is true, it is awful but this is about helping Mason get better and live a long life happy with his owners or other loving people. He must have loved them enough to get himself back to them. I know of a dog personally thru a friend that made it hundreds of miles walking back to his home after being away on a trip with them. These are miricles.

 

Kenn Bell
12 years ago
Reply to  Pricenb

Yep, it’s about helping Mason. I didn’t post the story because of the family. I posted because, once again, it showed how incredible dogs are.

Rightback9
Rightback9
12 years ago

Your dog found his way back home with two broken legs and you turn him in to a shelter! Mason, you deserve a better home with owners that will give you the love that you deserve.

Kenzierose
Kenzierose
12 years ago
Reply to  Rightback9

The whole town is totally destroyed. They did what was best for Mason.

Deeclingan
Deeclingan
12 years ago

 I agree!!!  that poor little dog!!  I have a little Mini-Dachshund and first of all…she would have been in my arms during a bad storm or Tornado!  I live in Maryland , and thank God we hardly ever get a tornado and when we do we are lucky enough for them to be very weak….but I would still make sure that my animals are with me if we had a severe storm!!  
I hope that Mason does well and can find a home and a family who TRULY CARES ABOUT HIM AND WILL CARE FOR HIM NO MATER WHAT!!

Jan
Jan
12 years ago

Please don’t judge the owners.  They obviously cared for their pet but are temporarily unavailable to care for him.  If you have never been through a tornado, don’t judge!  The family did what they had to do at the time and, hopefully, they will recover enough to eventually get their beloved pet back.  Deeclingan, please know that even if you had your dog in your arms, the force of the tornado could have easily torn your pet from your arms.  PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE THE OWNERS BUT HAVE COMPASSION FOR THEM AND THEIR PET! 

spitfire1958
spitfire1958
12 years ago

Mason should have been with them in “their” shelter, not left to fend for himself in the garage! As you can see it is his front legs that are broken.  How terribly painful that was for him to crawl on them. We were fortunate in that we live a few miles south of where the devastation occurred.  The tornados that went over our house never touched down.  But our dogs are with us in our “shelter” (bathtub) whenever we have a tornado warning!

Anonymous
Anonymous
12 years ago

I think it’s disgusting that the owners dropped their incredibly loyal pet at the Animal Shelter after all he’d been through trying to make his way back to his family.  If a local vet hadn’t volunteered his services, Mason probably would’ve been put down.  Pets are a commitment…they are not disposable.  I would’ve been begging on the street for money to help this precious animal if I didn’t have it myself.  No wonder the owners don’t want to be identified.

Scullykath
Scullykath
12 years ago
Reply to  Anonymous

 I personally think the love, devotion and determination of Mason to get back “home to his family” should have been enough to let the shelter and the doctors and other staff who are caring for him say
” We will care for him fix his broken bones and give him a safe place to be until you are on your feet then by all means you will get your incredible little guy back at no cost to you” The love the owners showed by coming back to see if he was around, the fact that they loved him enough to let him go so that he could live and be treated and also if they were not a good family to live with Mason would not have been so determined to get back home. If Mason loves his family that much and they loved him enough to surrender him so that he could be fixed then in my eyes I believe the whole shelter and staff should have said “YOU WILL GET HIM BACK AT NO COST”. In order for any shelter take on and heal a sick/hurt animal and it has an owner if the owner hasn’t the money to pay they demand the animal in return. Many people have chipped in for his expenses don’t you think that they would also be just as happy to help pay so that the family would still be able to keep him? Just another way to look at this

D. Kevin Surbaugh
12 years ago

so what is this dog’s facebook page? News articles say it exist but don’t link to it. Can’t find it in the facebook searches I did.

Photographic Studio
Photographic Studio
12 years ago

wow thats so sad, how could you leave him there and not go and pick him up, what a sweet dog, hope he gets well soon

Call19
Call19
12 years ago

Have a heart please.  This family has lost everything.  They went back to the home periodically to look for the dog.  They have no home, no money….nothing.  The only way for them to get help for this dog is to publicize the story in hopes that someone will help financially.  I would probably have done the same in their position.

Carrie_ann26
Carrie_ann26
12 years ago

I do feel for the family and understand they lost everything and are unable to care for Mason NOW, but what bothers me is why he was not in storm shelter WITH HIS OWNERS in the first place???? NO ROOM? Are you kidding me???? I also agree that filming him with the broken legs really bothered me.  How long was he like that before they took him to get help??? If the owners would have done the right thing to begin with NONE of this would have happened. They should not get him back, sorry.

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