Julie Thorton Johnson had a major surprise when she woke up earlier this week.
A huge, sleeping dog was snuggled next her on her bed, a creature neither Johnson nor her husband had ever seen before.
The Johnsons have three dogs of their own who, on occasion, join them in their bed, so it took a moment for the couple to realize this pup wasn’t one of them.
“My husband said, ‘Julie. Whose dog is this?’ I rolled over, and for the first 10 seconds, we were just staring at each other. I said, ‘That’s not our dog,’” Johnson told The Dodo.
The mystery dog, however, appeared to be quite content.
Johnson and her husband were taken aback by their surprising new bedmate at first, but it quickly became evident that the puppy wasn’t there to cause trouble.
Johnson recalled, “She was simply resting on our pillows, fully pleased.” “All she wanted to do was cuddle.”
Johnson, a dog lover, chose to hug her back while trying to solve the puzzle of where the dog came from.
A huge storm had passed through the neighborhood overnight, and Johnson believes the dog had become disoriented and was looking for shelter. She must have slipped in through a rear door that the couple had left ajar by accident.
“Dogs are quite intelligent,” Johnson stated. “She came in through an open door.”
Johnson, assuming the dog had owners, took a few images of the furry guest and shared them on social media in the hopes that the dog’s owner would see them. That, indeed, solved the problem.
Before long, Johnson was contacted by the dog’s worried owner, who lives a few miles away — learning that the pup was named Nala, and that she’d gotten lost during a walk the day before.
Unable to find her way back home when the storm hit, Nala sought shelter with strangers.
“We were a safe place, and she knew it,” Johnson said, adding: “Nala’s moms came right over and picked her up. It was a really happy reunion.”
Nala was back where she belongs — and her moms’ worried minds were put at ease. Meanwhile, the Johnsons couldn’t be more delighted to have their home (and bed) invaded by such a sweet pup.
“They thought we’d be enraged that their dog had broken into our home, but our sentiments couldn’t be more diametrically opposed,” Johnson explained. “Everyone was in good health. Nobody was stranded in the midst of the storm. It was an indirect way of letting someone else into our hearts.”
Finally, Nala’s unexpected visit resulted in more than just a funny story.
The Johnsons reconnect with Nala lately – this time on purpose. They planned a playdate with their pets and the stray puppy who had snuck into their hearts.
“It was fantastic. We learned about Nala’s parents. It sparked a genuine bond “Johnson said. “I think we’ve demonstrated we can be trusted if they ever need a dog sitter.”
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