Missing dog returns home and rings the doorbell on Christmas Eve

A missing dog returned home to Florida and even rang the doorbell on Christmas Eve to alert his owners, giving a whole new meaning to the holiday song, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Why it matters

This is not just the story of a family reunited with their beloved puppy, but of a community coming together to help their neighbor in need. When Green Cove Springs resident Brooke Comer lost her dog, Athena, it was all hands on deck in the week-long search in what Comer described to the Associated Press as an “incredible” story, which , fortunately, had a happy ending.

What you need to know

Athena ran away from home on December 15 after her family left for church that day.

Athena disappears

Comer received a message from his neighbor with a photo of Athena outside the house, causing the homeowner to panic.

The family ran home and found Athena’s collar in her cage and no visible opening through which the 4-year-old German Shepherd and Husky mix could have escaped. It is still unclear how Athena managed to escape the house.

The community helps

Over the next week, Comer’s neighbors and community members from nearby towns would contact her after seeing her missing dog postings, sending videos or photos where they might have seen Athena.

Every time Comer received an alert about Athena, she and her family quickly went to where their puppy might be, but they had no luck finding her.

Based on information Comer gathered from her community, it appears Athena traveled nearly 20 miles round trip when she went missing.

Athena comes home

After nine terrifying days for Comer, who worried about what her already nervous dog might have encountered during her getaway, the owner received a Ring video notification from her doorbell at 2:30 a.m. local time on Christmas Eve.

Comer opened the door and Athena ran inside. The puppy went to Comer’s son who was half asleep on the couch and licked his face. Athena then played with her ball and shortly after, she fell asleep in her cage.

What people say

Comer told the AP that his dog “was the great hide-and-seek champion of all time”, recalling his search for Athena.

“Every sighting, my heart would skip a beat, and honestly it was excitement, and then your heart would break because we were always one step behind,” Comer said.

She said she was dazed when Athena finally came home, telling the AP: “As soon as I heard that ringtone, I looked at my phone and you could see in the video that it was Athena and she was jumping at the door, ringing the doorbell.

Comer added that the past week has filled her with hope because of everyone who helped her family in the search for Athena.

What happens next

Athena will undergo a full exam, flea and tick treatments, as well as a microchip, a small dog tracking device, after her escapade.

This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.