Winnie, the Bakers' 15-year-old corgi, went missing after an EF3 tornado destroyed the family's Illinois home in June.
For a time, Connie and Jeff Baker had no idea whether their elderly dog had made it out alive.
What happened?
WCIA said the Bakers' house in Teutopolis, Illinois, was torn from its foundation during the June 17 EF3 tornado that caused widespread destruction.
Storm chasers rescued the Bakers from the debris after the storm, and the couple is now safe in Mattoon with their son.
Two of the family's three dogs, Sam and Willow, later came back across a field. However, concern arose when Winnie did not return with them.
The outlet said Winnie is an older corgi with arthritis, along with hearing and eyesight problems, causing her owners to worry deeply about her safety.
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Recalling the tornado, Connie said, "I buried my face into the dirt and put my hands over my head and just prayed and prayed and prayed."
The next day, Connie was contacted on Facebook by Stephanie Waldhoff and Todd Waldhoff after Todd, an employee of Illinois' Department of Transportation, found Winnie alive under rubble at about 4 a.m.
Why does it matter?
Winnie's age, along with her mobility and sensory challenges, made her survival seem unlikely after a tornado strong enough to tear a home from its foundation.
Connie told WCIA, "All I could do was cry because I thought I lost her. She's my baby."
What's being done?
After finding Winnie beneath the debris, Todd Waldhoff kept her at his home overnight, according to WCIA. There, she received food, shelter, and comfort until she could be reunited with the Bakers.
While caring for Winnie, Stephanie Waldhoff told WCIA she "fell in love" with the corgi, as someone who also has dogs of her own. Waldhoff said Winnie luckily escaped with only minor injuries: "She had one little scratch on her nose."
According to WCIA, the family is still searching for two missing cats: one all-black cat with a clipped left ear and another black-and-white cat.
Stephanie told WCIA, "They lost material things that can be replaced. People, our fur babies, that's what's important."
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