Granbury Pets Reunited With Owners
GRANBURY (CBS 11) - Eddie Martin struggles as he looks through the rubble of what was once his grandmother's house in Granbury. His parents, Tommy and Betsy Martin, routinely took dinner next door to his grandmother, Ann Davis. They were there when the tornado hit. Davis' home was lifted, shredded, and dropped 100-yards away at a neighbor's.
Ann Davis and Tommy Martin died there.
"Every second of every minute I'm here is a struggle,' he said. Eddie spent all day Thursday at the hospital with his mother, Betsy Martin. "She's still hurt pretty badly, she's got extensive injuries," according to Martin. Broken shoulder and wrist, every rib as well; and two collapsed lungs. Still, Martin says, "She's doing better than expected but still got a ways to go. I couldn't be happier with her progress.
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For Martin, the circumstances are bizarre. He works for FEMA and is used to helping others in a disaster. Now he's the one in need. "I just flew in here from Denver yesterday and I feel like I've been here a week already. I just -- it's mind-numbingly painful."
Residents of Granbury are struggling to find normalcy. While DeCordova Ranch is open, Rancho Brazos next door is still off-limits to all but emergency personnel. Gas leaks have been corrected, but it's still a struggle to find electricity and repair crews have their hands full. Rancho Brazos may remain closed until tomorrow.
But for one family there was a happy reunion. "They have actually found and recovered both of our dogs," Eddie Parsons told CBS 11 News. Parsons and his family barely escaped with their lives and feared their dogs were lost. But Animal Control found the pets. And Precious and Nola are with family once again. "There are a few minor things, wounds, but I'm happy they're alive," adding, "They're little creatures and I love them so much."
Lost pets are reunited with their owners through Hood County Animal Control with generous help from NewsScope Marketing, which donated both a building and employees to help volunteers coordinate the reunions. Parsons wasn't the only happy owner. "They're like my babies, I've had this one since I was like 8 years old, and I wouldn't know what to do if any of them got hurt," Jessica Mullins says of her three small mixed breed dogs. Her mother says the home is gone, but the pets ease the hurt. "We had to leave the dogs in the bathroom and evacuate. And we just prayed that they were okay," said Tammy Mullins.
All the found dogs are kept at NewScope; cats, birds, and other pets are at the Hood County shelter. Nearly 100 animals saved. "It's an amazing feeling," says Sherry Rose of Hood County Animal Control. "After all the hard work and hard stuff we went through in the beginning getting everything organized ... when we reunite them it's so worth it."
The effort doesn't need more volunteers but it can use pet food, leashes and the like. Lots of vets are donating services and vaccinations to make sure the animals go home as healthy as possible. People wanting to claim pets are asked to bring verification of ownership, if possible. Pictures are very helpful to make sure the right animal gets to its owner.
Owners can call Hood County Animal Control at 817.573.4277. Dogs can be claimed at the NewScope office at 5845 Acton Circle in Granbury, which is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday ,May 19. To claim a pet, you will need to describe the animal in detail and/or show a photo, and show your driver's license. Photos of pets not claimed will be posted on the pet rescue website, www.petfinder.com. Cats, birds and other pets can be found at the Animal Control office at 240 Bray in Granbury.
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