Marjie Ducey – Omaha World-Herald – May 20, 2024 – from Lincoln Journal Star

Zeus, the young rottweiler believed to have flown four blocks in his crate during the Arbor Day tornado, is home at last.

The cuts on his face and his tender back leg are healing. He lost the nails on his right paw, apparently when his crate careened back to earth.

His family finally has a place to live. The six of them and their two other dogs were scattered for a while after their house was demolished April 26 when the EF3 tornado blasted through the Ramblewood neighborhood in Elkhorn. Only the foundation remains.

Stacey Smith, founder of Bullies-n-Beyond ResQ, snapped a photo of Zeus’ empty crate when she came upon it that night after the storm. Zeus was found two blocks away by the Nebraska Humane Society, resting on a mattress.

“I just had this feeling I should take a picture of it somehow,” Smith said. “I think it saved his life. It’s one of those big thick Alcatraz kennels. I don’t think he would have survived had he not been in it.”

The 126-pound Zeus, who just turned 2, was so terrified when he was found that the Humane Society officer told Smith she had to carry him to her van. The family was able to identify him by a bald spot on his head.

He’s still a little shaken three weeks later. He refuses to be out of eyesight of his owners. It’s the same for Spike, the miniature pinscher, and Buddy, the miniature schnauzer. All three were kenneled that night as the family typically did when no one was home.

The family has been reluctant to share Zeus’ story and asked to remain anonymous after backlash about Zeus being in a crate. A post with pictures of Zeus, his kennel and his story has 1.8 million page views on X.

Lew Olson, who is on the board of directors with the American Rottweiler Club and has owned rottweilers for almost 50 years, said it’s common to crate the breed until they get past the chewing stage and can be more mannerly.

“It protects them so they don’t get into anything bad,” she said. “Sometimes, rottweilers don’t really grow up until they are about 3. They can get rambunctious. They like to chew and they want to be entertained. It saved that dog’s life.”

The family has its own scars. The father couldn’t work for weeks because of his injuries. He and a teen son, the only two at home, barely made it to the basement before the tornado struck shortly after they returned from the grocery store. He looked outside and saw the funnel and didn’t have a chance to grab the dogs from the living area.

The father and son were buried in the rubble after the tornado smashed the house, and he had to punch through a wall to pull out his son, who now has anxiety because of what happened. Their daughter is terrified to sleep alone, worried that another storm will hit.

That‘s one of the reasons that Smith volunteered to take charge of Zeus’ care while the family took steps to recover. Spike and Buddy, who were found that same night, had a few cuts and were able to stay at the hotel with the family.

Two family members and the owners of Zeus, the dog, just had time to reach the basement before April 26 tornado hit their Elkhorn home. The aftermath is shown in this photo. ZEUS’ OWNERS, courtesy photo

“He was so lucky to be alive,” Smith said.

With the family’s permission, she picked Zeus up from the Humane Society. She reached out to Hound HQ, one of several places that offered to board animals after the storm, and owner Jake Sarver said bring him over.

“We had put out a statement we were taking in dogs for anyone needing assistance free of charge,” Sarver said. “It’s just the right thing to do.”

Southpaw Veterinary Clinic’s Dr. Kati Lackovic treated all of Zeus’ injuries and neutered him for free. The family had been waiting until he turned 2. Some studies show that waiting to neuter can protect dogs health in the long term, Olson said.

Even though the family has received negative comments about kenneling Zeus, Smith said that is the safest place for a young dog when his family isn’t home. Puppies can ingest just about anything.

Stacey Smith took a photo of Zeus’ kennel, which flew four blocks from the dog’s Elkhorn house, likely with Zeus still in it during Nebraska’s April 26 tornadoes.STACEY SMITH, courtesy photo

She just delivered a new crate for Zeus, donated by a local representative of Purina Dog Food. Smith, who has operated Bullies-n-Beyond since February 2023, teaches dogs in her care that a crate is a good and safe place to be, both in everyday life, in cars and in storms.

“I would always kennel my dog during weather like that,” she said, “This one was particularly heavy duty, it really protected him from anything. He did have some irritation to his eyes. It kind of kept him from getting hit with any debris that would have been flying.”

With the weight of Zeus and the 100-pound crate, she can’t believe it traveled so far, It keeps reminding her of the movie “Twister” and the animals flying through the air during the film.

She calls Zeus an absolute miracle.

“It didn’t break his spirit at all. He was friendly,” she said. “You wouldn’t have known he had been through such a traumatic event.”

Zeus when he was reunited with Spike and Buddy. The dogs are healing from their injuries that they suffered in the Arbor Day tornado.ZEUS’ OWNERS, courtesy photo

The mother of the family said Zeus and the other dogs are happy to be together again. That reunion was a step toward recovery as was her husband returning to work this week and the family finding a more permanent place to live.

She’s been trying to keep everything together even while she works full time. They’re starting from scratch, she said, since their rental home wasn’t insured. Their new one is covered.

“It was a weight lifting off my shoulders to have everyone together again,” she said, “and hopefully we can get in a better routine and back to being normal again.”