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Losing a pet can be terrifying for owners. One family in Green Cove Springs, Florida, experienced this nightmare when their dog, Athena, escaped their household less than two weeks before Christmas. Fortunately, the 4-year-old German shepherd and husky mix returned home in time for the holiday—and she she politely announced her arrival by ringing the doorbell.
CBS News reports that the owner, Brooke Comer, and her family were at church when they realized that Athena had gotten loose. A neighbor sent her a picture of the pet outside the house on December 15. When the family returned home to look for her, they found her collar in her crate. Strangely enough, there were no visible openings where the dog could have gotten free. The Comer family is still unsure how Athena broke out.
People banded together to look for the lost dog. Green Cove Springs community members and people from neighboring towns answered Comer’s missing dog ad by sending possible videos and pictures of Athena. However, when the owners arrived at the reported spots, she was nowhere to be seen. Judging from the responders‘ locations, Athena traveled almost 20 miles while she was gone.
Then the Comer family received the best gift at 2:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve. A Ring video notification on Brooke’s phone showed Athena jumping at their front door and ringing the bell. She succeed in getting the family’s attention, and they promptly let her inside where she greeted them with kisses. While Athena appears to be in good condition, the Comers plan to take her to the vet for a health exam, flea and tick treatment, and a microchip implant.
Some experts say dogs’ extraordinary noses and apparent ability to detect magnetic fields help them navigate long distances. Cats have also been known to make remarkable journeys back home. A gray cat named Rayne Beau was in the same situation as Athena in June 2024 when he got lost in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park during a family trip. The feline traveled much farther— about 900 miles—to rejoin his owners in Salinas, California.
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