Heartwarming Story! Dog Reunites with Israeli Family after Surviving Alone for 18 Months in Gaza War
Dog Reunites with Israeli Family After 18 Months in Gaza
In a heartwarming moment amid ongoing conflict, Rachel Dancyg reunited with her dog Billie, a 3½-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, on Wednesday, 18 months after the pet vanished during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.
Dancyg, whose ex-husband Alex, 76, and brother Itzhak Elgarat, 68, were abducted and killed, believed Billie had perished. “It’s a miracle,” she told The Associated Press, marveling at the dog’s survival when so many did not.
The attack killed 1,200 people and saw over 250 kidnapped, with nearly 60 hostages still in Gaza, many presumed dead.
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Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, per local authorities, devastating Gaza. Nir Oz, where a quarter of 400 residents were killed or captured, epitomized Israel’s vulnerability that day. Some reported Hamas militants targeting animals, leaving Billie’s fate unclear.
Dancyg hid in a safe room for eight hours during the attack but fled without Billie.
Despite months of searching, the family, now relocated to northern Israel, found no trace. On Tuesday, a soldier contacted Dancyg’s daughter, Lee Maor, saying Billie was found in Rafah, 9 miles from Nir Oz. Reserve soldier Aviad Shapira spotted Billie amid rubble, noting her immediate trust when he said “shalom.” A microchip led to the family.
Though disoriented and thinner, Billie seems joyful. The Nir Oz community called the reunion a “little light in a lot of sorrow” on Facebook, urging remembrance of the family’s losses. Dancyg finds closure but remains haunted by hostages still in Gaza.
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