Dog Abducted On October 7 Reunited With Owner: ‘It’s A Miracle From Heaven’

A dog abducted by terrorists on October 7 was reunited with its owner, Rachel Dancyg, on Wednesday, after a year and a half of being apart.

Billy, a three-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’ massacre. 

In a viral video, Billy is seen running into the arms of the Dancyg family while Rachel cries. Rachel then hugs Aviad Shapira, the reservist who found the dog.

Rachel’s family and friends were murdered on October 7.

Her dog Billy was kidnapped to Gaza.

For a year and a half, Rachel didn’t know if he was alive.

This week, an IDF reservist found him in Rafah.

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Shapira told Israel’s Channel 12 that the dog ran into his arms while he was in Rafah. Shapira, of the Golani’s 13th Battalion, took care of the dog for four days before returning to Israel, The Times of Israel reported.

“She just ran up to me and jumped on me,” Shapira said. “I told myself that she would come with me to Israel. I really fought for her to come with me.”

When Shapira took Billy to an Israeli vet, a microchip was discovered, showing she belonged to Rachel.

“Our heartfelt thanks to Aviad, who insisted on bringing Billie back to Israel,” a spokesperson for Kibbutz Nir Oz released in a statement. “Thank you to all the heroic IDF soldiers; you lit up our darkness.”

“Dogs are part of the family,” the statement continued. “Many of the dogs and animals who lived on the kibbutz were abducted or murdered on October 7th, together with the humans. The great hug that Billie got upon her return from the entire people of Israel teaches how much we all long and need such miracles.”

Rachel’s son-in-law, Yaron Maor, told YNet that the family didn’t believe that Billy survived and purchased another dog of the same breed for the family’s children.

“We are in complete shock and overwhelmed with emotion to see her tomorrow. We didn’t believe she had survived,” he said before reuniting with the dog. “Now the two dogs will live together with us. It’s a miracle from heaven.”

Rachel is the ex-wife of Alex Dancyg, a murdered hostage who was buried in August after his body was recovered by the IDF. Dancyg’s brother, Itzik Elgarat, was also murdered and buried after his body was returned in the latest hostage deal.

Rachel is known for her heroic act of saving her teenage granddaughters on October 7. While sheltering in a safe room that didn’t have a lock, the 72-year-old grandmother successfully held the door shut while terrorists fired bullets at the door.