Silver Lining After the Storm: Family Reunited with Missing Dog 10 Days After Tornado

TYLERTOWN, Miss. — Amid the devastation left behind by the deadly tornadoes that swept through Mississippi in March, one family is finding hope in the unlikeliest of places — the return of their beloved dog, Linus, 10 days after he went missing.

Curtis Bush, who lost his home in the March 15 storm, was overwhelmed with emotion when he was reunited with Linus, who had vanished the night the tornado struck.

“It gets to the point where you face the reality that you’re probably not going to find him,” Bush said, his voice filled with gratitude and disbelief.

The storm had been catastrophic for the Bush family. One of their dogs died during the tornado, and several family members suffered serious injuries. Bush’s son, now in a wheelchair, sustained multiple broken bones. His wife also suffered broken ribs and a fractured sternum.

In the chaos that followed, Linus was nowhere to be found. Two days after the storm, the family reached out to the Mississippi Animal Project, a local animal rescue group based in Tylertown. The team immediately began searching on foot.

Days passed with no sign of Linus—until a neighbor spotted him nearly a mile away. That tip led the rescue team to call in drone operator Jason Miller to assist.

“I just happened to see a signature walking on the side of the road, and as soon as I zoomed in on him, you can see in the footage, I started yelling and going nuts,” Miller said.

After a seven-hour search, Linus was finally located in a wooded area.

“If Linus was alive, there was no house to be found,” Bush said. “It would be like you waking up on Mars, confused because your house is no longer there.”

Linus was found with only minor injuries and is now safely back with his family, who are currently living in a camper donated to them by kind-hearted supporters.

“All God is doing is drawing us closer to him,” Bush said. “We will rebuild. This won’t take us out.”

Bush said his family had only lived in Tylertown for a year before the storm struck. Now, with his wife and son out of the hospital and on the road to recovery, and Linus back by their side, they’re holding tight to hope as they begin the long process of rebuilding their lives.

Miller called the experience “humbling.”

“That moment was one of my top moments — to be blessed and witness that firsthand,” he said.