Israeli soldiers in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, recently rescued a dog stolen from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, Hebrew media reported on Tuesday.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel emerged from the rubble when it heard soldiers speaking Hebrew, according to Channel 12 News.
The dog was later identified via microchip as being Billie, belonging to Rachel Dancyg, the ex-wife of Alex Dancyg, who was taken captive by Hamas and later killed in captivity. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed his death on July 22, 2024.
Aviad Shapira, the reserve soldier in Golani’s 13th Battalion who found Billie, told Channel 12: “We had just conquered the Morag corridor in order to encircle Rafah. I went to the Namer [armored personnel carrier] and saw lovely Billie walking toward me. She just ran up to me and jumped on me. I told myself that she would come with me to Israel. I really fought for her to come with me.”
When Shapira left Gaza to celebrate the Passover Seder with family, he took Billy with him. When he brought the dog to a veterinarian, they discovered it had an implanted microchip and, through that, identified the owners.
“We would like to thank Aviad from the bottom of our hearts, and all the heroic IDF soldiers. You have brought a little light to us in the midst of all the darkness,” said a spokesperson for Nir Oz.
“Dogs are a family, and many of the dogs and other animals in our kibbutz were also kidnapped and murdered on Oct. 7. The great joy of the people of Israel in Billie’s return proves more than anything else how much we all need and wait for such miracles,” the spokesperson continued.
“We still have 59 abductees in Gaza, 14 of them from Nir Oz, and we hope that the next miracle will come with the return of all of them.”
Rachel Dancyg, with the help of her daughter’s family, had been searching for Billie for months. A blood stain in the house led them to believe that the dog had been killed, according to Channel 12.
Rachel survived the attack, managing to save her two granddaughters. Her daughter’s husband, Yaron Maor, fought off terrorists at his home for hours to protect his family, a story of heroism that received widespread coverage in Israel.
When the IDF finally arrived, Yaron identified himself by shouting the Shema prayer.
