Alabama: A dog who went missing after tornadoes hit the US state of Alabama on April 27 turned up at his owners' home 20 days later - finding his way home despite having sustained two broken front legs.
Mason, a terrier mongrel, was hiding in his owners' garage when a tornado ravaged the city of Birmingham. The twister picked him up and blew him away.
His owners couldn't find their pet and had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again.
On May 16, they returned to their damaged home to sift through the debris - and to their surprise, Mason was waiting for them on the porch.
They took the dog to the local animal shelter.
Dr. Barbara Benhart, who works as a veterinarian at the shelter, said Mason's story was an amazing tale.
"He's got two broken legs... they've not been able to be in alignment, so neither one of them have healed. So he had to crawl on two broken legs to get home," she said.
"For an animal to go through what he's gone through and not to be ugly, to be happy for human companionship, is remarkable and we're honoured to be part of his recovery," said her colleague, Phil Doster.
Mason underwent three-and-a-half hours of invasive surgery to fix his broken legs and is now recovering and learning to get around on his two splints.
"He's doing great...he's eating, he's drinking, he's just doing wonderful," said Dr William Lamb, the surgeon who operated upon Mason.
Mason, a terrier mongrel, was hiding in his owners' garage when a tornado ravaged the city of Birmingham. The twister picked him up and blew him away.
His owners couldn't find their pet and had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again.
They took the dog to the local animal shelter.
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"He's got two broken legs... they've not been able to be in alignment, so neither one of them have healed. So he had to crawl on two broken legs to get home," she said.
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Mason underwent three-and-a-half hours of invasive surgery to fix his broken legs and is now recovering and learning to get around on his two splints.
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