“She was just laying on our pillows, completely content.”
Julie Thorton Johnson awakened one morning earlier this week to an unexpected surprise.
There on her bed sat a huge, drowsy dog – a creature neither Johnson nor her husband had ever seen before.
The Johnsons have three dogs that occasionally join them in bed, so it took a while for them to realize this youngster wasn’t one of them.
“‘Julie,’ my husband murmured. What kind of dog is this?’ I rolled over, and we just stared at each other for the first 10 seconds. ‘That’s not our dog,’ I remarked “Johnson revealed to us.
The mystery dog, on the other hand, looked to be perfectly content.
Naturally, Johnson and her husband were taken aback by their surprising new bedmate at first, but it soon became evident that the dog wasn’t there to cause problems.
“She was absolutely pleased resting on our pillows,” Johnson added. “All she wanted to do was cuddle.”
Johnson, being a dog lover, chose to hug her back while striving to solve the question of where the dog had come from.
A powerful storm had passed through the neighborhood overnight, and Johnson believes the dog was disoriented and looking for shelter. She must have snuck in through a rear door that had been left ajar by the couple.
“Dogs are really intelligent,” Johnson stated. “She came in through an open door.”
Johnson shot a couple images of the furry guest and uploaded them on social media, hoping the dog’s owner would see them. And, indeed, that did the thing.
Soon after, Johnson was called by the dog’s concerned owner, who lives a few miles away, and learned that the pup’s name was Nala and that she’d gone missing on a stroll the day before.
When the storm came and she couldn’t find her way back home, Nala sought refuge with strangers.
“”She felt we were a secure place,” Johnson said, adding, “Nala’s mothers came immediately over and brought her up.” It was a wonderful reunion.”
Nala was back where she belonged, putting her mothers’ minds at peace. Meanwhile, the Johnsons are overjoyed to have such a nice pooch infiltrate their house (and bed).
“They expected us to be upset because their dog broke into our house, but our sentiments couldn’t be more contrary,” Johnson explained. “Everyone was okay. Nobody was stranded amid the storm. It was a circuitous route to opening our hearts to someone else.”
Finally, Nala’s unexpected visit resulted in more than just an amusing anecdote.
The Johnsons recently reconnected with Nala — this time on purpose. They planned a playdate for their pets and the odd pooch who had crept into their hearts.
“It was fantastic. We became acquainted with Nala’s parents. It sparked a genuine bond “According to Johnson. “I think we’ve demonstrated we can be trusted if they ever need a dog sitter.”