Moore tornado survivor and search dog dies days before 12th anniversary
MOORE, Okla. (KFOR) — As the 12th anniversary of the devastating and powerful EF-5 tornado that tore through Moore approaches, the community is remembering one of its unique heroes.
Five days after the May 20 tornado, a little Pitbull puppy was found buried under the rubble of a home near the Warren Theater.
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'I was asked to foster him because he was pretty feisty and peppy and not happy to be kept in the medical clinic,' said Molly Gibb.
Nobody ever claimed him, but Gibb saw something special in the puppy.
'I realized that this dog had all the qualities you would ever want in a scent detector dog for search and rescue,' said Gibb.
When no one came forward to claim him, Gibb adopted the puppy and named him Little Man and that's when their journey as a search and rescue team began.
'He survived a tornado and he's been paying it forward ever since,' said Gibb.
Over the next decade, Little Man has worked tirelessly as a certified search and rescue dog. Skilled in live find, human remains detection and evidence search.
'He was such an, an incredible four legged advocate for the missing,' said Gibb.
Little Man helped locate missing people, assisted in criminal investigations and even contributed to the discovery of unmarked Indigenous burial sites. His work spanned across Oklahoma and other states.
Little Man has even been named 'Search and Rescue Dog of the Year' by the American Humane Society in 2021.
'It's been a real deep honor to be able to do that and especially with a dog like Little Man because he was so invested in it,' said Gibb.
Little Man had just turned 12 and was recently recertified to continue search work. Gibb was planning to slowly ease him into retirement, but suddenly, everything changed.
He died unexpectedly after doctors found a tumor. It's left a feeling of emptiness for Gibb.
'They are with you 24/7, they're your companion animal, they are your work partner, you're training all the time, you're deployed, I mean it's almost like you're not without them and now he's suddenly not there,' said Gibb.
Little Man's legacy isn't just about the lives he helped find, it's also about where he came from. He was a shelter dog and Gibb hopes his story inspires others to see the potential in rescue animals no matter their breed.
'I can't say enough about the potential of those animals that we have in our shelter systems here in Oklahoma and they deserve our goodwill and our thoughtfulness to give them a chance at a good life,' said Gibb.
Gibb says the work must go on as there are too many missing people in Oklahoma. She is now continuing her work with two other rescue dogs that Little Man helped train: Miss Timmy and MacDubh.
'He will be missed and the other two have some big paws to fill, but it'll be their own path, they have to carve their own path,' said Gibb.
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Gibb says Little Man would want his story to inspire kindness.
'He never met a stranger, he thrived on happiness and he would want us all to be kinder to each other,' said Gibb.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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