A heartwarming holiday reunion unfolded in Florida when a missing German shepherd found her way back home, alerting her family by ringing the doorbell at 2:30 AM on Christmas Eve.
Four-year-old Athena, who had been missing for nine days, surprised her family with her unexpected return. The dog had disappeared on December 15th, prompting an extensive community search effort across the area.
"Every day I came home from searching night and day. Every spot, I was out there, and they just came home heartbroken," said Brooke Comer, Athena's owner. During the search, concerned citizens from Jacksonville to Saint Augustine reached out to help, reviewing hours of doorbell camera footage after multiple sightings of the dog.
The middle-of-the-night reunion brought joy to the household, despite Comer's attempts to keep the excitement quiet. "I was excited but I tried not to wake up the kids, but the kids woke up anyways from the excitement," she explained.
The adventure appears to have changed Athena, who is part husky. Since returning home, she has discovered her voice, displaying a newfound tendency to howl - something she had never done before. "She has not stopped whining or howling since she's got home," Comer noted.
Following this experience, the family plans to have Athena microchipped and spayed after the holiday season, taking extra precautions to prevent future disappearances.