ENID, Okla. — A dog that was trapped under rubble for 44 hours after an EF-4 tornado roared through north central Oklahoma was rescued and has been reunited with her owner.
The canine’s owner, Kay Dragoun, has had Pup for 13 years, KOCO reported.
“Pup is Pup, it’s a happy name, Pup, short and sweet just like she is,” Dragoun told the television station.
When Dragoun received a warning about the tornado approaching her neighborhood on April 23, she made sure both she and Pup were in safe spaces.
“I heard the warning, so I closed the door. She was lying in her bed,” Dragoun told KOCO.
Dragoun took shelter in her closet as the tornado hit, noting that what she felt “was like someone shaking out a throw rug.”
The dog was missing after the storm passed, causing Dragoun some anguish.
“Somewhere her collar was found, and that terrified me in that the wind might’ve picked her up,” Dragoun told the television station. “I might’ve never seen her again.”
Pup was discovered 44 hours later, shaken but safe.
“So many hands, so many got us to where we are,” Dragoun said.
She added that Pup “chose her” years ago, and is glad to keep their relationship going. The dog was taken to a salon to freshen up, and she is back to normal, Dragoun said.
“She chose me being under an apple tree on Labor Day,” Dragoun told KOCO. “I thought she was somebody in the neighborhood, and I hunted and I hunted, and she chose me. I like things that choose me. I feel special.”
© 2026 Cox Media Group
