Willie The Dog Gets A Hero's Rescue

In the shattered ruins of London, Kentucky’s Sunshine Hills subdivision—where homes were ripped clean from their foundations and 17 people lost their lives—one small survivor’s whimper pierced the silence of devastation: Willie the dog was alive, trapped beneath tornado debris.

The powerful EF4 tornado that struck late on May 16 was the deadliest storm ever recorded in the region, according to the National Weather Service. Sunshine Hills bore the brunt, as whole families were uprooted and lives torn apart. But amid the destruction, a sliver of hope emerged from the rubble, thanks to the determination of selfless volunteers and the Kentucky National Guard.

(MORE: Tornado Destroys Kentucky Town)

“We met a man whose entire family had been thrown out of their house by the tornado” explained Joanna Foley, whose sister lost everything in the storm. “He was taken to the hospital, and as soon as he was discharged, he came straight to look for his dog.”

That man was Ryan, and his dog Willie was still out there, somewhere in the wreckage.

Enter Kentucky Army National Guardsman Zachary Mallicoate. This was his first-ever activation for state duty. “I just had this overwhelming sadness, just that feeling that you have deep down inside where you, you almost can't believe that someone is having to go through this. It was just really sad to see firsthand,” he said.

As he and his team worked to help families recover what they could from their demolished homes, Ryan’s desperate plea for help stopped them in their tracks: “I can hear him,” he told the soldiers. “He’s somewhere in the debris.”

(MORE: Family Gets Dog Inside Moments Before Tornado Hits)

Malacoate and his team rushed to assist. Amid the broken boards and mangled belongings, someone pointed out a tiny gap in the rubble—just one foot wide. Malacoate volunteered without hesitation. “I looked at all the guys and I was like, well, boys, you know it and I know it. I'm the only one small enough to fit in this hole.”

“I got down into the hole, went prone, and then I low crawled to where Willie was. It was probably about 4 or 5 ft deep in,” he recalled. “He was stuck up underneath a 2 by 4 with a nail touching his neck. So I can only assume that he was afraid to move.”

Using a jacket as a shield in case the frightened dog lashed out, Malacoate gently freed Willie, carefully avoiding the nail. The dog was limping but alive. He hesitated to come out—until Malacoate reached in again and scooped him up.

“It was one of those moments where you almost have to hold back the tears that roll up because the voice that they used when calling his name. It's just one of those voices that you can only hear when somebody is so deeply moved by something.” Malacoate said, choking back tears. “It was one of my proudest National Guard moments.”

(MORE: The Human Toll Of A Tornado Outbreak)

Foley says that the same spirit was seen all over the neighborhood. “All ages, all backgrounds,” she said. “Some who had lost everything, even their families; some who were there simply to help in any way they could; others who stopped by just to hand out food and water.”

In a place where so much was lost, the rescue of one dog reminded everyone that hope could still be found beneath the rubble.

To help tornado victims across Kentucky, check with local organizations or verified sites.

Weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.

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