LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock shared the harrowing experience of searching for her lost dog after Friday’s tornado.

UA Little Rock student-athlete Lindsey Hutcheson was reunited with her 4-year-old Australian Shepherd named Remy after losing him amongst the chaos and wreckage following the tornado.

Hutcheson was at practice Friday afternoon when she heard tornado sirens going off, leading to her and her teammates taking cover in a dormitory basement while they watched news coverage.

“I was panicked because my dog was home alone,” Hutcheson said. “I was crying the whole time because I could see on the news where the tornado hit my apartment complex.”

After the tornado passed, she raced to her apartment complex on Napa Valley Drive to search for Remy, finding nothing but destruction. She said she couldn’t see or hear him.

Hutcheson and her parents said they noticed a part of the wall was torn open and wondered if Remy might have jumped out and wandered off.

A neighbor had said that they thought they saw someone rescue the dog. Hutcheson and her family thought it might’ve been maintenance staff but were dismayed to learn that the staff hadn’t seen Remy.

Hutcheson and her parents were forced to leave, hoping to find Remy the next day. When they returned the following morning, they were able to make their way into Hutcheson’s bedroom. That’s when they spotted Remy.

“I tried to dig the insulation out, and then I saw his little butt sticking out of the debris,” Hutcheson said. “I don’t know how or why, but he’s fine. I probably lost everything else. Honestly, he is all I cared about. Everything else can be replaced, but I just wanted him to be found.”

Hutcheson said she believes Remy might’ve been trapped under her bed when the tornado hit. She said she doesn’t know why he didn’t respond when they called for him the first time.

Though she lost the place she lived, Hutcheson said she is thankful to be reunited with her best friend.

“It could always be worse,” Hutcheson said. “I know there are people who have it worse than me right now, so I can’t complain. I’m just glad Remy was found.”