"Dawson bought us the extra five minutes we needed to grab our essentials and get to a safe place," said Chris Theriot.
Dawson doesn't like storms, and while he'll usually try to get as close to his humans as possible, on this particular night he was barking and trying to jump to get in bed with the couple.
In truth, Dawson was an accidental hero, but the Theriots say that doesn't matter; what matters is that they were able to stand outside their destroyed home in shoes and warm clothes.
The Theriots were lucky; they lost their home, but they and their family -- including their 5-year-old daughter and Dawson -- escaped unharmed. They also were able to go, together as a four-member family, to stay with Lori's parents.
For about 90 dogs and cats in the storm-ravaged area, that wasn't the case. Of that number, about 70 are being boarded because their owners homes were damaged. The remainder were found wandering in neighborhoods near those affected by the storm.
Damaged homes meant a stay in an animal clinic or shelter; in one case, animals already staying overnight in a clinic had to be moved when the clinic was destroyed.
The storm tore off most of the roof at James Wallace's Parkway Veterinary Clinic in Center Point, but the area where about 20 animals were housed was untouched. Veterinarians from the area acted quickly to help get the pets to safety.
"It was amazing how the community came together," said Mark Pelham, a veterinarian at Kelley Animal Hospital in Center Point.
Pelham said he was boarding about a dozen of the Parkway animals; 10 more were are at Pinson Animal Hospital, according to veterinarian Patrice Woodruff.
Trussville Animal Hospital has become a temporary home to about 17 dogs and cats that lived in houses that were damaged; Clay-Chalkville Animal Clinic has about 20.
The clinics as well as area shelters currently have about 20 dogs and cats that were found wandering in the area hardest hit by the storm.
"This is nowhere near what it was in April," said Phil Doster, spokesman for Birmingham-Jefferson County Animal Control. "We have about eight pets from the storm right now, and we know who almost every one of them belongs to."
Doster said he wouldn't be surprised if a lot of displaced animals show up this week. He said animals often will go into hiding, then start coming out when they get really hungry.
He said animal control representatives have been delivering food and bowls to the areas affected by the storm, and he encouraged anyone who is missing a pet to contact the shelter.
"If we pick up an animal in the storm areas, we will hold it indefinitely," Doster said.
Deerfoot Animal Clinic is accepting donations of blankets, food, crates -- "anything a pet would need," said Jackie Oser.
Mission PAWSible, a project of the Animal League of Birmingham, also is accepting donations of pet necessities. Hollywood Feed stores in Mountain Brook and Greystone are serving as drop-off points for the donated items.
The league works with rescues and shelters in the metro Birmingham area to provide money and goods, particularly to smaller groups that often work either with small staffs or through volunteers.
"We lend a hand whenever we can," said Tina Willard, league president.
Pelham, the vet at Kelley Animal Hospital, said the clinic is keeping a list of lost and found dogs, but he also urged anyone who finds a displaced pet to check with the Alabama Pet Registry.
"We check for microchips," Pelham said. "It really is a lot easier to reunite pets with their owners when we can read a microchip."
He said many dogs -- including his -- have a fear of storms. They tend to run and hide if not contained; even if they are inside, they are likely to run if the house is damaged.
Dawson kept his family safe
Dawson -- that reluctant hero dog -- is afraid of storms, which is why he inadvertently helped keep his family safe.
During storms, Dawson usually can be found next to the bed, whimpering to snuggle with his humans until the danger passes. Last Monday night, however, he was especially persistent, and the Theriots are grateful to the 25-pound mixed breed dog they adopted years ago from the Shelby Humane Society.
"When Dawson woke us up, we turned on the TV and heard that the tornado was in the Pinson area," Lori Theriot said. "I decided that since the storm was close, we should be prepared."
She and her husband got out of bed, put on some warm clothes and tennis shoes, then got their daughter up and dressed. They got wallets and cellphones, then headed to the bathroom where they put on their bicycle helmets and crouched in the tub. Lori had even gotten a stroller so she could put their child and Dawson in it if necessary.
She knew they had done the right thing when she felt her ears pop and saw debris floating around the bathroom.
"Two beams came through the ceiling," Lori Theriot said. "The storm had torn the roof off the house."
As she stood outside what was left of the one-story home she and her husband had lived in the past 10 years, she was grateful to Dawson.
"He was the catalyst," she said. "He gave us the five extra minutes we needed."
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Kennedy at vkennedy@bhamnews.com.
Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/01/dozens_of_pets_remain_boarded.html
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