Following the devastation wrought by a series of tornadoes that ripped across Illinois this past week, one man finds a reason for joy when the family dog is discovered alive in the rubble.
Jon Byler Dann lost his home but he and his four kids were unharmed. Still, they were grieving for their dog, Maggie, who’d gone missing in the storms. When Dann and his friends examined the wreckage, though, they heard a faint barking coming from beneath the rubble. Piece by piece the wreckage was moved including a large piece of masonry that called on the teamwork of six men to lift. Maggie lay beneath, wrapped in a piece of carpeting and some insulation.
Maggie was dehydrated and suffered a dislocated hip in the ordeal. In spite of being in shock, she wagged her tail.
Aware of the impending tornado, Dann had tried unsuccessfully to coax Maggie out of her kennel and into the safety of a room where his children were. The dog was too scared and instead scratched and clawed at him. She escaped his grasp seconds before the tornado touched down.
It was then that Jon saw the debris pelting his house and felt the warm rush of wind. He bolted for the house, ran into the bathroom and pushed an amplifier in front of the door. In seconds the house was gone. He was pinned by debris and bricks. First responders freed him and his children within 15 minutes. Dann’s wife was working in Peoria, IL at the time and was unharmed.
As the storm passed, Dann and his children felt the spray of water from broken water pipes and saw clear skies above where the ceiling of their home had been just minutes before. Once he knew they were safe he began to worry about the dog. Guilt and panic riddled him so he was relieved when she was found alive.
Teegarden Veterinary Clinic tended to Maggie where her hip was reset and she was treated for dehydration. By the next day she was eating and drinking again and even began standing and walking on her injured leg.