News

Actions

He was lost after a tornado hit his home. This dog has been reunited with family

He was lost after a tornado hit his home. This dog has been reunited with family
Maury Co tornado dog RAW_frame_77807.jpeg
Posted
and last updated

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's been just over a week since tornadoes swept through Maury County.

One Columbia family got the brunt of the damage and a major scare.

The Whittens not only found their house of 12 years in ruin that day, but they realized they were missing a family member: their dog, Dash.

"People would ask, 'What do you need?' We need you to find our dog. We need you to find our dog," Ryan Whitten said.

Dash was missing for nearly a day until someone found him and brought him to the Maury County Animal Shelter.

"It was like seeing a rainbow, like everything was going to be OK," said ReAnna Whitten.

Now, Dash is back with his parents and the rest of the dogs: Max, Sammy and Chico.

"They're all like kids. You can't pick a favorite," laughed ReAnna.

Their two cats Ricky and Clyde also survived the storm.

Even with a long road ahead, the Whittens say they couldn't ask for more than their family back together again.

"We didn't know what the end would be with Dash, and it turned out to be a great story," said Ryan.

The Maury County Animal Shelter may still have some animals displaced from the storm. If you're missing a pet, or are interested in adopting, you can reach out to the shelter.

Carrie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/2e/72/be0f23854c54a228c9d6138c9847/carrie-recommends-header.png

Rhori: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/5b/25/a224d13d47739165c92b94e643db/rhori-recommends-header.png

Eugene: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/7b/09/9eaf788d46f580c4234978610d60/screenshot-2026-04-29-at-12-11-52-pm.png

Lelan: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/af/54/833bf879454097a398bd44f723de/lelan-recommends.png

Nikki-Dee: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e1/b4/685a931d4182b82d9322d496fa15/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-18-pm.png

Henry: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/f7/31/2e3894bf45d9a1668f1ccc56b9f6/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-01-00-pm.png

Katie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/77/55/afe9375249a4b9e058e4b2c3d2ea/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-46-pm.png

Brittany: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/67/90/788e5c364f00baabf9c5edae87e2/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-00-06-pm.png

Jennifer: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/e4/1e/9771c0824888a0fd87b2a1030979/screenshot-2026-04-15-at-12-02-19-pm.png

The skies were closed on 9/11. A Nashville phone call helped save a baby’s life

September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”

- Rhori Johnston