While mother nature has the power to comfort and calm the soul, it even has the power to throw a curveball leading to widespread devastation. Something similar happened when the state of Alabama was hit by the Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado. In the month of April 2011, a massive tornado took with it a lot of lives, property and caused destruction. Thousands of people had to leave behind their assets. While some of the people managed to survive the tornado, there were others who couldn't. Not only humans but also pets and cattle were subjected to its wrath.
One family who managed to go through the storm lost their dog in the tragedy. Just when they went hopeless and were mourning his loss, something knocked at their door which left them baffled.
The Tuscaloosa–Birmingham Tornado struck the cities of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama on 27th April 2011. It is said to be the costliest tornado that has ever been recorded. The storm caused huge damage to life and property and even the smallest of the communities staying in coastlines were a prey to this massive calamity. Amongst the various survival stories, this story of a brave dog became a heart-melting one.
The tornado had a path width of 1.5 miles which is approximately 2.4 km when it was rushing through the track of Tuscaloosa. While passing through the Interstate highway 65 and moving towards the north of Birmingham the tornado attained the speeding winds of 190mph that are nearly 310km per hour on average. One can imagine the amount of destruction it can cause.
As the historical twister pounded through North Smithfield in Birmingham, Alabama, it reached its maximum length. It took in its motion many households and shelters. With a click, many families went from riches to the homeless. To save themselves from a disaster, a family quickly hide in their garage along with their beloved dog Mason. They didn't know that even the garage couldn't spare them from the deadly.
As the tornado sharpened, it hits this families house as well. To save their lives the family rushes back to their home as it anyhow could provide them better shelter than the garage. In all this hustle bustle, they lost the track of Mason. They did not realize that whether they carried him along or not.
When the mother nature calmed, and the storm abated the family started looking for their pet. They searched the entire house but couldn't find him. This made them sure that they had left him back in the garage to face the tremendous storm alone. They rushed on a foot to the garage hoping to find him hidden there.
As the family ran outside to find their dog, they were utterly shocked at the sight. The garage which once used to be there was completely demolished. All that was there were bricks and stones, mud and wood. Mason's survival in such a surrounding became questionable. Did the poor dog who once ran behind the members of the family die?
The kids in the family picked shelters and boards and looked beneath the shattered garage pieces in order to find their pooch. Even the adults called his name and searched for him in the mess. But unfortunately, the dog was nowhere to be found. Everyone just hoped that where ever their dog was, he was just safe. Little did they know, where had their poor puppy ended up.
The family suffered a major heartbreak on not being able to find their beloved pet. They searched the entire space but could not locate him. Though they did not wish to leave without their dog, they had no other choice as they had to take shelter under the refugee camps until the property was repaired. The family left that space but their heart could not.
Somewhere the family still had a hope that they will find their dog. They constantly worried about their dog and feared for his well being. All they did was just pray for his safety. For the days to come, the family did not give up and searched the entire area in hope of a miracle. Will they be able to find him?
People often say that if once you had a wonderful dog, a life without one is a life diminished. Probably this family was going through something similar. When after searching for days and hours, they couldn't find Mason, the family eventually gave up. They somewhere accepted the fact that their beloved four-legged friend had lost his life in the turmoil. Yet, they thought to give it another try.
The family saw many people posting about their lost family members. This clicked them as well with an idea. They posted online about their lost dog Mason, in an attempt to find some clues about him someday. They posted a message along with Mason's picture on the Facebook page and just prayed for a magic spell to happen.
After the tornado and the storm passed away and the sun shined bright, various animal rescue shelters came forward in order to help and locate these mute four-legged creatures of G0d. While everything was a mess, these organizations were able to help nearly 1800 displaced animals. Did this mean that Mason was also one amongst the rescued?
The volunteers at these organizations were no less than a savior. They undoubtedly were the good samaritans. Not only did they rescued the poor animals but also put the displaced dogs on adoption, whose owners lost their life in hands of the enormous tornado. While many animals could reunite with their families, there were a hundred more going through emotional trauma. Amongst all these animals was there still any hopes of coming across Mason?
Even the rescue team knew the power of Social media, thus they started a Facebook page in the name of "Animals lost and found in Alabama". A lot of animals reunited and were adopted via this page. Even Mason's family scrolled through this page and were shocked to see the findings.
Mason's family scrolled the Facebook page some three-four times. For their satisfaction, they even refreshed it several times. Unfortunately, there was not even a single clue or sign about Mason. By now they were sure that they have lost their dog, and it was the last time they saw him in the garage. However, the family didn't know that a big surprise was waiting for them.
It is not necessary that all the healthy and loving relationships in your life come from your significant another human. The love could be reciprocated by a pet as well. Mason made the same space in his family's heart. Almost a month passed when the Tornado hit the place, and after searching in every possible animal shelter, Mason could not be found. The family presumed that someone has adopted Mason.
Yet, it wasn't all. Mason had made some other plans it seemed.
Once the tornado passed the city of Alabama, life came to normal. The city was being reconstructed and people were shifting to their residences. Even Mason's family decided to make a shift and return to their usual chore. They had accepted the separation from their dog. Before making a move they for one last time went back to their residence to collect their valuable belongings left there, if any. The family was already in pain and something least expected happened.
After weeks of surviving the tornado, the family returned to their home. They were nostalgic to find their home in such a exterminate condition. All they could find was rubble and pieces. The house which was once a home was not all shattered and so were their memories with it. Amongst the mess, their eyes caught a sight of something unbelievable.
The mere sight of the unexpected brought tears to the family eyes. What was it? Did they find an old family photograph broken that made them weak on knees? Or was it their ancestral piece of furniture that was all crumbled? Was it the treasure box that they left behind? Hey, wait, was it Mason? Whatever it might have been, it definitely had strong emotional ties attached t the family. But, what was it?
Mason's family went back to their home for the one last time to collect their precious belongings, but who knew that they will be surprised with the most untimely presence of the most precious gem of their life. It was Mason-their beloved dog sitting on the porch. The family could not believe their eyes. The dog had managed to survive the tornadoes and storm. But there was one thing which bothered the family more. What was that now?
Not only the family but the dog was equally happy to reunite with his family. The moment he saw them so close to him once again, he started wagging his tail out of love and excitement and had his mouth agape. It was an emotional reunion. Meeting your beloved pet after assuming that you have lost him surely meant teary eyes out of happiness. So far, the family was over the moon but soon afterward their happiness was converted into woe.
When the family picked Mason up in their arms, they realized that he wasn't as healthy as before. He was weak and thin. He had lost the muscle mass and seemed to have escaped a deadly condition. Only his spirits were high and he appeared jolly, rest he was in a poor condition.
Mason had to deal with the ordeal for nearly three weeks. While everyone was running to find a shelter, this poor soul lost his'. What it looked like was that the tornado dragged Mason out of the garage and carried him along. The family was really guilty to have lost the sight of their little pooch during the chaos. His unkempt and injured appearance distressed the family.
The tornado had badly injured him. His front both legs were broken and suffered major fractures. His fur was rough and dirty, he has lost half his usual weight. He weighed only 14lbs. He had not eaten in all these tragic days and was even suffering from severe dehydration. Will this frail creature be able to make it through life?
Mason needed immediate care and attention. He needed a doctor. But as the family went homeless and had no resources left to them, contacting for medical help was a challenge they had to face. They could not see their dear pooch in such a condition and had to devise some solution.
The instant solution the family came up was calling the Birmingham-Jefferson County Animal Control Shelter. They knew that the animal shelter was the best one who could treat him as the family had no money to get their dog operated. As the help arrived even the doctors were shocked to realize that the dog made it to his home on broken legs. As the treatment began, some surprising events unfolded.
The animal shelter volunteers said that Mason needed some expert help. So they decided to contact Vulcan Park Animal Care Clinic and ask if they had a surgeon on duty who could help them in Mason's case. Even at the Clinic, everyone sympathized with the poor doggo and his determination to crawl back home in such illness.
The VET at the clinic asked the animal shelter to perform an X-ray on Mason's legs and develop reports for the same. In the X-ray, it was quite evident that Mason had suffered a fracture in his legs and needed to undergo a surgery. But, his family had no money then how would the surgery take place?
Dr. William D. Lamb who was the owner and the veterinarian at the Vulcan Park Animal Care, when he heard Mason's story he decided to perform the surgery on this cute dog for free of charge. As Mason was in a tough phase, the doctor even contacts two other orthopedic surgeons who could help him with this case.
Everyone just wanted to see Mason walking and running. Mason underwent an invasive surgery that lasted some four hours. His bones could not be treated and thus two metal plates along with some 18 metal pins were inserted in place of his leg bones. All this treatment else wise charged a massive amount, but Mason was a lucky dog who stole the heart of everyone who came to know about his bravery.
Mason was recommended rest for the upcoming five weeks. In that time his metal plates would settle up and he could hopefully walk again. All this while he was staying at the Animal Care Clinic who fed him with nutritious food. Mason began to show progress. He began gaining some weight and started eating a little.
In the words of the doctors, Mason will be all healthy in some three-to-four months if he showed the same progress. One thing which would help Mason recover fast was his family. The presence of his family near him kept him happy and enthusiastic and he did not bother about his ill health and broken legs. He was satisfied being with them in whatever condition he may be.
Chuck Eagar was the manager at the Clinic then. He and Mason shared a special bond. He would often feed him dog food and take him out on a ride on his bicycle. Chuck even says that they have a girl who visits the Clinic often and Mason crazily wags his tail seeing her. Mason's cute and adorable tacts made him the most loveable animal there.
Every now and then, the doctors checked upon Mason. They said that he was showing much better progress than expected. Even if continued at the same pace, he will be all healthy. Mason has completely shed away his dehydrated and malnourished looks and was now very jolly and healthier.
After five weeks, Mason got rid of his bandages and stitches. It was time for him to feel his newly-formed legs. The vets at the clinic prescribed a few physiotherapy sessions for him to ensure that his legs show signs of smooth movement. Under the guidance of the therapists, Mason began with his sessions.
Mason rapidly progressed. His legs showed expected signs of movement. Soon only he began playing with other dogs at the clinic. He even watched baseball games on TV with Chuck. Now that he had fully recovered, it was time for him to go back to his family, for whom he crawled on the broken legs.
When Mason’s family came to the clinic to take Mason along, they were very emotional to see their little pooch all healthy and happy. Seeing him run on his legs gave them immense pleasure. The doctors allowed the family to take Mason home and the family extended a warm thank you to the doctors for treating him at their own expense.
Though the family was very happy to have Mason back, Chuck wasn't. He missed Mason at the clinic. He, however, called the family often and know the whereabouts of his new friend. Even Mason would bark upon the call to reciprocate his feelings for Chuck. Chuck even shared Mason's story on his Facebook Page.
Mason's survival story and his willingness to reunite with his family gained much attention. His page had some 7000 followers and everyone was amazed to see this dog's spirit. People had different reactions to this tale and appreciated these loyal beings. Surely owning a dog awakens one's soul.
Mason is now back to his basics. He is enjoying his life with his family in Florida. Just like any other pup, he would play and frolic around his parents. He would run in the entire house, would wag his tail and would love his family to the core.